Hometown hero Carlos Alcaraz kicked off the holiday festivities in Murcia, Spain, by lighting up the town’s grand Christmas tree in style.
Alcaraz put together an exceptional 2023 season. The Spaniard racked up six titles, including his second Grand Slam title at the Wimbledon Championships. He concluded his season with a semifinals exit at the ATP Finals, having secured an impressive 65-12 win/loss record this year.
Alcaraz then made his way to Los Cabos, Mexico, to indulge in some well-deserved vacation time, sharing glimpses of his enjoyable experiences on social media. The Spaniard has since arrived back in Spain to commence his pre-season training at his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero’s tennis academy.
On December 9, Carlos Alcaraz revived a cherished tradition in Murcia by lighting the region’s iconic Great Christmas Tree at the Plaza Circular after a two-year hiatus. The Spaniard launched an LED ball into the tree, illuminating it in a brilliant display, which was accompanied by a spectacular fireworks show.
The Spaniard also signed a heartfelt message on the camera for all the residents, writing:
“Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Long live the Region of Murcia.”
He penned the same message on a large tennis ball, which will be auctioned off by the city with the proceeds going to charity.
At the event, Mayor Jose Ballesta honored Alcaraz with a golden Paparajote and deemed him the “universal Murcian.”
Carlos Alcaraz then addressed the crowd, expressing pride in representing Murcia at tournaments around the world.
“I feel very proud when they introduce me to courts like the Arthur Ashe, the largest in the world, and they say ‘Carlos Alcaraz, from Murcia, Spain.’ When I go somewhere, to China or any other country, in my team we usually joke that let’s see how many Murcians we find,” he said (via the Murcia City Council website).
“Carlos Alcaraz has courage to face Novak Djokovic without fear” – Feliciano Lopez
Feliciano Lopez recently shared his thoughts on Carlos Alcaraz’s title drought after his triumph in the Wimbledon Championships final against Novak Djokovic, stating that the 20-year-old was still learning to navigate his meteoric rise in the sport.
“Carlos still does not have a database large enough to say, ‘here yes, here no, I’ll get ready here, I’ll leave this’. It’s very complicated. And everything that is happening to him, what he is experiencing so soon… it is a tsunami that comes into your life at 20 years old and it is difficult to manage it,” he told AS.”
However, Lopez credited his fellow Spaniard for his ability to face Djokovic without any fear.
“That’s why I give so much credit to what he’s doing. Because he doesn’t scare him, he has enough maturity to assimilate it, the courage to face Djokovic, who is the best player, for many, in history, without fear,” he added.
Carlos Alcaraz is set to square off against the 24-time Grand Slam champion in a blockbuster exhibition match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 27.
