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Carlos Alcaraz had the pleasure of meeting former Spanish footballer Alvaro Arbeloa at the 2023 French Open. During their encounter, Arbeloa gifted Alcaraz with a Real Madrid jersey.
Alcaraz defeated Italian tennis player Flavio Cobolli 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 on Monday, May 29. The match lasted just under two hours, with Alcaraz dominating the court and securing his place in the second round of the French Open.
After his victory, the World No. 1 met Alvaro Arbeloa, a retired Spanish World Cup-winning footballer. Arbeloa started his professional career with Real Madrid and represented Spain in numerous international competitions, including the 2010 World Cup, Euro 2008, and Euro 2012, winning all three tournaments.
Arbeloa presented Carlos Alcaraz with a Real Madrid jersey which had the young tennis player's name emblazoned on it. The official Real Madrid page shared the image of both holding the jersey, which was then re-shared by the 20-year-old himself.
Alcaraz expressed his gratitude towards Arbeloa for taking the time to visit him at the French Open and for the thoughtful gift.
"Thanks for the visit and for the gift 😍 @realmadrid," Alcaraz captioned his Instagram story.
Carlos Alcaraz to face Taro Daniel in French Open 2023 R2
Carlos Alcaraz will take on World No. 112 Taro Daniel in the second round of the 2023 French Open on Wednesday, May 31. This will mark the first instance of the two players meeting at a tour-level event.
In a press conference following his triumph against Flavio Cobolli, the Spaniard acknowledged Daniel's strong performance this year. Alcaraz also highlighted the Japanese's impressive victories against top players and Daniel having an outstanding tournament prior to Roland Garros.
"Taro is having a great year. You know, he's playing great," Alcaraz said. "He has won great matches against great players, you know. And of course, he won easy against O'Connell, and he played a great tournament before Roland Garros."
Alcaraz is anticipating a challenging second-round match against Daniel and emphasized the importance of being fully prepared for a tough battle.
"So I know that the level of Taro, so it's going to be a really tough second round, really tough match," he said. "So I have to be ready for that, and I have to be prepared for a really tough one."
Alcaraz's first-round win at Roland Garros improved his record for the season to 31-3. The Spaniard has already secured four titles, including two Masters 1000 triumphs.
