Carlos Alcaraz recently defeated Roberto Bautista Agut in a riveting exhibition match, but that wasn’t what put the brightest smile on the 20-year-old’s face during the event.On Thursday, December 28, the Spaniard took on Bautista Agut in the ‘Carlos Alcaraz Cup’ in his hometown of Murcia, triumphing over his compatriot 7-6 (1), 1-6, and 10-7 in one hour and 53 minutes.
During the match, Alcaraz hilariously became part of the longstanding tradition of tennis players receiving marriage proposals from fans during matches, joining the ranks of Steffi Graf, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer.
As the youngster prepared to serve during the first, a fan unexpectedly interrupted his routine with a marriage proposal.
“Carlitos, casate conmigo (Carlitos, marry me),” the fan yelled.
The World No. 2 couldn’t help but break into a wide grin at the proposal, taking a moment to smile to himself before resuming play.
Carlos Alcaraz’s triumph at the event in Murcia marked his second consecutive win in an exhibition match within the space of a day. Before heading to Murcia, the two-time Grand Slam champion defeated Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 at the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup.
“Carlos Alcaraz is going to carry this game in the future years to come” – Novak Djokovic
Following his defeat to Carlos Alcaraz at the exhibition event in Riyadh, Novak Djokovic lavished praise on the Spaniard, hailing both his on-court achievements and off-court persona.
“I have seen videos of him on the internet. I’ve seen him when he was 12 years old, probably winning tournaments. It’s impressive for what he has achieved at such a young age. He’s a very humble, very nice guy. His family, his father, are a very nice family with great values, as well as his team,” he said in his on-court interview.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion expressed confidence in Alcaraz carrying the sport forward in the coming years, ensuring that its future was in good hands.
“It’s fantastic to have him in our sport. He’s one of the leaders of our sport today, and definitely, he is going to carry this game in the future years to come. In the next 10 to 15 years, we’re going to see a lot of him, so tennis is in good hands,” he added.
The Spaniard reciprocated the kind sentiments during his on-court interview, emphasizing how honored he felt to share the court with Djokovic and learn from his expertise.
“I mean, it’s incredible to share the court with him, you know at this tournament, in the official events, everywhere. Learning from him is amazing,” Carlos Alcaraz said.
“As you said, I grew up watching him winning all the big tournaments and you know, you always dream about this moment, playing against him face-to-face and I’m really really happy to be able to do that,” he added.
