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Carlos Alcaraz is not getting into tennis mode just yet as he indulged himself in some soccer ahead of his first-ever ATP Tour tournament in China.
The World No. 1 is set to make his debut at the 2023 China Open. But before the main draw action commences, Alcaraz played soccer with Juan Jarry, son of Chilean tennis star Nicolas Jarry.
In a video posted on Instagram Story by Jarry, Alcaraz is seen casually doing a passing drill with Juan. But instead of a soccer ball, both are using a basketball, with Juan posing with a small tennis racquet in his hand as well. Nicolas Jarry also jokingly called Juan as Alcaraz's first student.
"Your first pupil," Jarry wrote alongside the video.
Juan Jarry has become one of the most loved characters on the ATP Tour and has often been spotted supporting his father at various tournaments. During the interview after Jarry won the Chile Open in March, Juan grabbed the mic and tried to put it in his mouth. He also supported the Chilean No. 1 at the Halle Open in June, donning dapper shades during the quarterfinals.
2023 has been Nicolas Jarry's best year on the ATP Tour. He has grabbed two titles -- the Chile Open and the Geneva Open. Jarry also reached the fourth round at Roland Garros, his best performance at a Grand Slam. As a result, he has soared to his highest career-ranking of World No. 22.
Carlos Alcaraz to face Yannick Hanfmann in China Open R1
Carlos Alcaraz will kick off his tennis journey in China against Yannick Hanfmann of Germany on September 29 in Beijing. They have played each other once before, but that clash came at the Seville Challenger in 2019, which Alcaraz won in straight sets. Hanfmann entered the main draw after going through qualifiers, where he bettered Dusan Lajovic and Miomir Kecmanovic.
The young Spaniard will begin the tournament as a favorite to win the title, but he will not have it easy. By seeding, Carlos Alcaraz is projected to face either Karen Khachanov or Lorenzo Musetti in the second round, No. 7 seed Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals, No. 3 seed Holger Rune in the semifinals, and No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev in the final.
The draw for the ATP 500 tournament is among the strongest ever for a competition of this category, as all eight seeds are top 10 players. Dominic Thiem, who won the last China Open in 2019, will not defend his title this year.
