Carlos Alcaraz in awe after meeting Maria Sharapova in a surprise encounter

The World No. 1 "was shocked" after meeting the Russian icon.

Carlos Alcaraz in awe after meeting Maria Sharapova in a surprise encounter

Carlos Alcaraz (L) and Maria Sharapova (R) (Credits: Getty Images and Hello!Magazine

Carlos Alcaraz is in Toronto for the Canadian Open currently. During his visit, the World No. 1 was pleasantly surprised to meet Tennis icon Maria Sharapova.

The Spaniard defeated American player Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the second round of the Canadian Open 2023. He has advanced to the next round and will face off against Polish player Hubert Hurkacz. His successful reign continues as he dominates yet another ATP Masters 1000 event. In the year 2023, he has only conceded the Rio Open, which he lost to Cameron Norrie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzZeWaAFCRQ

After his match, he was questioned about his encounter with Russian star Maria Sharapova during the press conference. They met in a lift as Sharapova was in the city to attend the Gender Equity in Sports Conference in Ontario. He was at first stunned when he bumped into her. He revealed that he has long admired the former world number one. He acknowledged that she had a significant impact on him as a child and that he thought she was “one of the best in the world”. 

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He said, “And she was the first to get on the elevator, and I was like, ‘Is it Maria or not?’ It’s been great meeting her and knowing that she’s doing great right now. I was able to talk to her a bit, and it was very nice.”

Also read: Daniil Medvedev clarifies his decision for refusing anymore practice sessions with Carlos Alcaraz

Maria Sharapova Praises Alcaraz

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Maria Sharapova (Credits: Tennis.com)

Alcaraz would be happy to know that this admiration is not one-sided. Sharapova had recently praised the Wimbledon champion, saying that his “fighting spirit” was inspiring and that he was a “one-of-a-kind” player.

Talking to Gazzetta dello Sport, the five-time Grand Slam champion, said that “He manages to put on a show and ignite the crowd every time he sets foot on the field. I can’t wait to see him grow. I’m really curious to see where he can go and what he can do.”

She also talked about how, in the beginning, he was compared to the legend Rafael Nadal, as both hail from the same place and have similar styles of play, but also went on to say that he is coming into his own and developing a personality of his own.

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