Carlos Alcaraz makes X-rated comment after being denied Daniil Medvedev rematch in Miami | Tennis | Sport

Carlos Alcaraz insisted in no uncertain terms that he hates losing after tasting defeat at the hands of Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the Miami Open in the early hours of Saturday morning. The Spaniard was aiming to defend his title in Florida after clinching the top honours 12 months earlier but was denied a place in the final by Sinner, who managed to come back from a set down to send Alcaraz packing.

Alcaraz was able to get off to a bright start by winning the first set after a tiebreak but was pegged back in the second before Sinner turned the screw in the third to set up a high-profile meeting with Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s all-important final. The result will see Alcaraz lose his place at the top of the world rankings to Novak Djokovic and the 19-year-old did not attempt to hide his frustrations after being denied another showdown with Medvedev, who he defeated in the final at Indian Wells just two weeks ago.

“Well, yeah,” said Alcaraz when asked in his post-match press conference if he hates losing more than he enjoys winning. “After the match, like the 15, 25 minutes I can’t talk to anyone. I was on my… complaining a lot, everything is like s*** for me.

“But after 20 minutes, 25 minutes, you know, I recall myself, I start thinking about positive things, about the match, about the season, about the tournament, and talking with, you know, my team, my family, and yeah, after that starting to have good things on my mind. You know, I come here smiling. It’s after the 20, 25 minutes.”

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Alcaraz went on to insist that he did not want to make any excuses for his defeat against Sinner despite suffering with cramp at the start of the final set. He was also quick to congratulate his opponent, who will be looking to follow up on his latest victory by clinching the Miami Open title ahead of Medvedev in Sunday’s final.

“I started cramping at the beginning of the third set, but it wasn’t the reason for I lost the match,” added Alcaraz. “You know, I went back after cramping at the beginning, I started to feel better. But of course Jannik, he was better than me in the third set.

“That’s the truth, you know. But yeah, it was in the first game of the third set. I feel something different about the crowd when I play against Jannik. You know, I think around the world is probably all the people watching this match because I think it’s really beautiful to watch.”

The result on Saturday morning also means that Sinner now leads Alcaraz in the head-to-head between the pair by four wins to two despite losing in their previous meeting at Indian Wells just two weeks ago. The latter will now be looking to recover by shifting his focus onto the clay-court swing as he gears up to challenge for his second Grand Slam title at the French Open, which is set to get underway at the end of next month.

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