Carlos Alcaraz dedicates Shanghai Masters debut win to coach Juan Carlos Ferrero's friend who recently lost a leg in motorcycle accident 

Carlos Alcaraz dedicates Shanghai Masters win to coach Juan Carlos Ferrero
Carlos Alcaraz (L), Juan Carlos Ferrero (R) and Alcaraz's camera message (inset)

Former World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz has never shied away from expressing his emotions during matches, and his debut victory at the 2023 Shanghai Masters was no exception.

Alcaraz had just experienced a semifinal loss at the 2023 China Open before starting his campaign in Shanghai. However, he quickly put that disappointment behind him by securing a dominant victory in straight sets, defeating France's Gregoire Barrere, 6-2, 7-5, in his opener.

Carlos Alcaraz went into the match, being fully aware that he had a chance to reclaim the World No. 1 spot at the end of the year, dethroning his arch-rival Novak Djokovic. A successful title-winning run at the Masters 1000 tournament in the Asian country would certainly boost his chances in the ATP race.

Besides the Spaniard's unwavering determination and fighting spirit, what truly caught everyone's attention was when he took a moment to write a message on the camera after his win, which read:

"Madrona, this victory is for you." (Translated from Spanish)

Watch the video here:

The person mentioned in the message is Jose Manuel Madroza, who is a close friend of the 20-year-old's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero. Madroza has been an integral part of Ferrero's tennis academy for quite some time.

Tragically, he was involved in a devastating motorcycle accident that nearly claimed his life and led to the amputation of one of his legs.

Carlos Alcaraz's generosity shone through as he paid his tribute to the gentleman, and later shared the reason behind his action. According to the two-time Grand Slam champion, he fulfilled Madroza's request and provided him with encouragement and support through his injury recovery.

"Yeah, I mean, he's a friend of Juan Carlos, a really important person that's been through not a good time right now. He's struggling a lot at home. So this victory is just for him, you know, to try to help him to push him a little bit. Just for him. He told me that if I remember him to put him in the camera," Alcaraz said in a press conference.

Carlos Alcaraz extols the "great" Shanghai Masters crowd

Carlos Alcaraz pictured at the 2023 China Open
Carlos Alcaraz pictured at the 2023 China Open

Carlos Alcaraz had nothing but praise for the crowd at the 2023 Shanghai Masters. He mentioned he enjoyed every match he played in China so far and while the atmosphere in Shanghai might be different, he still described it as "great."

"It was great. Honestly, it was great as always. Every match that I played here in China I enjoy. I enjoy my time out there. I felt great on the court as well. Yeah, it's a little bit different, but it was great for me," he said.

The Spaniard then discussed his performance in the match against Gregoire Barrere, saying that even as his opponent raised his game, he was pleased to maintain a consistent level of focus throughout.

"Honestly, I think not using up and downs on my game, I just stay at the same level all the time. He increased his level, but I think my level of focus it was all the time the same. I think that I'm pleased the most about that," Carlos Alcaraz said.

Carlos Alcaraz will next face either Brit Daniel Evans or qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin in the third round.

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