Carlos Alcaraz pays tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo after beating Daniil Medvedev to reach ATP Finals SF

Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz paid homage to the Portuguese soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo after his victory over Daniil Medvedev at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Alcaraz, currently ranked No. 2 on the ATP rankings, defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4 on Friday to advance to the semi-final of the Nitto ATP Finals. This marked Alcaraz's third win over Medvedev in five encounters. The last time the duo faced each other was at the US Open semi-finals, where Medvedev emerged victorious after four sets.

In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday by Tennis TV, Alcaraz is seen signing the camera, followed by writing "siuuu!!!" underneath his signature.

"Siuuu" was popularized by the 5-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo, whose signature celebration includes a jump, landing with arms and legs wide open, and a triumphant "siuuu" roar after scoring a goal.

Carlos Alcaraz is an avid soccer fan. During the FIFA Women's World Cup in August, he showed his support for the Spanish women's national team by writing on the camera lens:

"Let’s go girls. For the world! Long live Spain!" - Alcaraz wrote.

Carlos Alcaraz is set to face Novak Djokovic in the ATP Finals semi-final on Saturday

Alcaraz Vs Djokovic - 2023 Wimbledon finals

Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, will face Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final of the Nitto ATP Finals on Saturday.

Carlos Alcaraz has won six ATP titles this season, including London/Queen's Club, Madrid Masters, Barcelona Open, ATP Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, and a Grand Slam at Wimbledon.

On the other hand, Novak Djokovic has also won six titles during the 2023 season. He clinched his historic 24th Grand Slam singles title at the US Open, equaling Margaret Court's record. Djokovic also won the Australian Open and the French Open. The 36-year-old also secured victories at the Paris Masters, Western & Southern Open, and the Adelaide International 1.

Djokovic and Alcaraz have faced each other three times this year and four times so far in their careers; their head-to-head record is currently tied at 2-2.

Their first encounter was at the semi-finals of the ATP Madrid Masters in 2022, where Carlos Alcaraz won 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5). They next faced each other at the 2023 French Open semi-final, where Djokovic came out on top with a scoreline of 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.

At the 2023 Wimbledon final, Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in a thrilling 5-set encounter that ended 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, securing the Spaniard's first Wimbledon title and his second Grand Slam title to date.

The last time the duo battled it out on the tennis court was at the final of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where the Serb won the match 5-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(4).

Whoever wins on Saturday will face either Jannik Sinner or Daniil Medvedev in the final on Sunday.