Exhibition matches are meant to be fun and Carlos Alcaraz delivered on the entertainment during his clash against Tommy Paul at the Tennis Fest in Mexico.
The second edition of the event in Mexico City saw nearly 30,000 people pack the Plaza de Toros México and they got their money’s worth at the post-season event.
Playing at an altitude of 2,200m was never going to be easy after such a long tennis season, but world No 2 Alcaraz and American Paul put on a show for the spectators.
Two-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz emerged victorious with a 7-6, 6-3 scoreline and he also came up with a sensational winner late during the second set.
Paul appeared to have hit a deep winner, but the Spaniard chased down the ball and with his back turned to the net he delivered a sublime flick down the line.
The American applauded and bowed down to his opponent, Alcaraz took the applause from Paul and the crowd. Even WTA world No 1 Iga Swiatek got in on the act as she took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the winner.
Internet users felt the match was a “sexhibition” and not an exhibition with Alcaraz described as a “highlight-generating machine”.
After the match Alcaraz admitted that he enjoyed his stay in Mexico City and hopes to return.
“I’m looking forward to coming back; I’m very surprised by how well they welcomed me. I went to the Basilica, and I can’t wait to come back once again to do a bit more sightseeing,” he said.
“Little by little, we improved and showed a better game. In the end, I think that’s what tennis is about – having fun, enjoying oneself, and making spectacular points.
“Thank you very much for the invitation and to the people who came to support us from start to finish.”
Alcaraz is now set for a well-deserved off-season break with the Spaniard expected to only return to competitive tennis at next year’s Australian Open.
While most players opt to play warm-up events prior to the season-opening Grand Slam at Melbourne Park,
the two-time major winner looks set to skip the ATP 250 events ahead of the tournament.
The Spaniard missed the trip Down Under at the start of the 2023 season due to injury and his team have indicated he won’t partake in any tournaments leading up to the Australian Open.
