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Carlos Alcaraz downed Gael Monfils 6-2, 6-4 on Monday, March 25, to book his place in the fourth round of the Miami Open 2024.
Alcaraz outperformed Monfils in every aspect, be it the first-serve percentage or the conversation rate on both serves. He landed in 81% of all of his first serves and maintained a 76% conversion rate against his opponent's 67.
On the second serve, the Spaniard won 44% of the points whereas Monfils stood at 27%. Furthermore, Monfils committed six double faults and was broken four times during the match which lasted for 75 minutes. With the win, Alcaraz took a 2-0 lead over the Frenchman in the head-to-head.
Notably, Alcaraz's victory was witnessed from the stands by sporting superstars including 6x NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, football's Neymar, and tennis' very own Juan Martin del Potro.
Alcaraz acknowledged the trio's presence during his customary on-court interview after the win. He admitted to feeling distracted in their presence, saying:
"For me it's kind of difficult to stay focused in the match. Having such legends from every sport is great for me. I try to show great tennis to try to make them happy as well and make them enjoy my games."
The 20-year-old further weighed in on his equations with Butler, Neymar, and Del Potro.
"I have a relationship with Jimmy Butler. I talked a bit with Juan Martin and Neymar. It’s a great opportunity to have them around and get a chance to talk with them a bit. It’s great to put on a show in front of them," Carlos Alcaraz added.
Carlos Alcaraz prepares to take down Lorenzo Musetti in Miami Open 4R to keep Sunshine Double hopes alive
Carlos Alcaraz will compete against Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth round of the Miami Open 2024 on Tuesday, March 26. This will be the first seed's fourth on-court meeting with Musetti and he will step onto the court as the favorite holding a 2-1 lead in the head-to-head.
Musetti has already downed the likes of Roman Safiullin and Ben Shelton in Miami this week after having received a bye in the opening round. Similarly, the two-time Grand Slam champion too advanced to the second round with a bye in the first and overcame fellow Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena.
Carlos Alcaraz is notably chasing his first Sunshine Double at the Miami Open as he had already secured the trophy in Indian Wells this year. He came close to achieving the feat in 2023 as well but faltered against Jannik Sinner in the semifinals at Miami Gardens.
