“Carlos Alcaraz is not No.1 for no reason,” Miami Heats star Jimmy Butler heaps praise on the Spaniard

NBA superstar impressed by young Spaniard's poise and composure on the court.


“Carlos Alcaraz is not No.1 for no reason,” Miami Heats star Jimmy Butler heaps praise on the Spaniard

Carlos Alcaraz and Jimmy Butler (Credits: Twitter)

At the Miami Open presented by Itau, Carlos Alcaraz had a successful day both on and off the court. In addition to defeating Dusan Lajovic with a score of 6-0, 7-6(5), the top-ranked player also had the opportunity to meet with two famous individuals.

Right after his match inside Hard Rock Stadium, the 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz met with Jimmy Butler, a renowned NBA player from the Miami Heat. It’s worth noting that Butler had already watched Alcaraz play in Buenos Aires earlier this year and expressed admiration for the young Spanish player.

In an interview with ATPTour.com, Butler expressed admiration for Carlos Alcaraz’s composure on the court, noting that he never seems to be rattled. He also observed that Alcaraz appears to be thoroughly enjoying himself during his matches. He also added, “I think whenever you have fun and you have that mentality that you know you’re the best, you go out there and you play as though you’re the best, results happen and he’s not No. 1 for no reason.

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Later in the day, Carlos Alcaraz had his photo taken with the Dominican singer Natti Natasha. In his post-match press conference, the defending champion expressed his delight in seeing famous people enjoying his games. He admitted feeling a bit nervous when playing in front of celebrities such as Jimmy Butler. Alcaraz was amazed that these famous personalities enjoyed watching his matches and described it as “crazy.” He is set to play against Tommy Paul in the next round, with the winner progressing to the quarter-finals of the Miami Open.

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Carlos Alcaraz is scheduled to compete against Tommy Paul

Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul
Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul (Credits: Twitter)

Carlos Alcaraz, who won the previous edition of the Miami Open, has advanced to the fourth round of the tournament by winning his matches against Facundo Bagnis (6-0, 6-2) and Dusan Lajovic (6-0, 7-6(5)) in straight sets. Carlos Alcaraz is set to compete against 16th seed Tommy Paul in the next round of the Miami Open.

Tommy Paul had defeated 20th seed Alejandro Davidvich Fokina in his previous match to qualify for this stage. The two players previously faced each other in the second round of the Canadian Open last year, with Paul coming out victorious in three sets.

In regards to his upcoming match against Tommy Paul, Carlos Alcaraz acknowledged that he would need to perform his best to defeat the American. Alcaraz mentioned that he had lost the previous and only match he played against Paul and recognized him as a highly skilled and formidable opponent. The Spaniard expressed his excitement about the upcoming match and said, “Let’s see what’s going to happen on Tuesday.”

The winner of the match between Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul will face either Taylor Fritz or Holger Rune in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.

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