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Carlos Alcaraz's recent shout-out to F1 champion Fernando Alonso at the Miami Open elicited a hilarious response from the latter.
Alcaraz faced Tommy Paul in the Round of 16 of the Miami Masters on Tuesday (March 28). After registering an emphatic win in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) against Paul, the Spaniard approached the on-court camera with a marker to sign the lens, an ATP tradition.
Alcaraz wrote "33 --> soon" as a shout-out to fellow Spaniard Alonso, who is expected to win the 33rd race win of his F1 career before too long.
The gesture from the World No. 1 caught Alonso's attention, who took to social media to respond to Alcaraz.
"Lock up this man!!! You [Alcaraz] are a phenomenon! Come on!!!," he wrote in his tweet.
Having secured back-to-back podiums at the start of the season with Aston Martin, fans are excited about the prospect of a 33rd race win for Alonso. The Spaniard will next be in action at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday (April 2).
Meanwhile, Alcaraz's win against Paul propelled him to the quarterfinals of the Miami Open, intensifying his hopes of achieving the Sunshine Double. If he is successful, he will become the youngest player to do so.
Alcaraz hopes he can make it all the way through if he reproduces the same level of tennis he has exhibited so far in the tournament.
"I played a really great match and I hope to play the same level in the quarter-final. I moved well and defended well and I counter-attacked and I think if I play at that same level I will have a lot of chances to get through," he stated during the post-match press conference.
Carlos Alcaraz will face Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open 2023
Carlos Alcaraz will lock horns with ninth-seed Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open on Wednesday (March 29).
Alcaraz's nine-match winning streak on tour will be at risk when he faces an in-form Fritz, who is coming on the back of an impressive straight sets win against Holger Rune.
It will be Alcaraz's first meeting with the American on tour. Their record in 2023 are 16-1 and 20-5 respectively. The No. 1 has only lost to Cameron Norrie this season.
However, Fritz will have the home crowd backing him. With the American playing on his favorite surface, the encounter with Alcaraz appears to be an exciting one on paper.
