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Carlos Alcaraz has expressed his delight at having received a staggering reception from the crowd at the Argentina Open on his comeback after a prolonged break.
Alcaraz played his last match prior to the Argentina Open at the 2022 Paris Masters back in November. Several injuries ruled him out of action continuously over the past three months. He couldn't even take part in the Australian Open.
The Spaniard's return to the tour was met with a rousing reception from fans at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club on Wednesday night. He took to social media to express his pleasure on the same.
"Missed this SO MUCH! What a night and what energy you gave me! Dale @argentinaopentennis," Alcaraz captioned his Instagram post.
Alcaraz managed to defeat Laslo Djere in three sets in front of a full audience on Court Guillermo Vilas to make it to the quarterfinals. It was the 18-year-old's first match in 104 days on tour.
The former World No. 1 dominated proceedings in the early minutes of the match as he raced to a 3-1 lead in the opening set. While the second set went in Djere's favor, Alcaraz broke serve in the final set to record a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 win.
"I didn't expect such a great crowd" - Carlos Alcaraz on the atmosphere at the Argentina Open
Carlos Alcaraz was surprised to witness a heavily packed audience in attendance for his first match at the Argentina Open. He later expressed his gratitude towards the fans for producing an electrifying atmosphere.
"I didn't expect such a great crowd, a great atmosphere behind me. So I just can say thank you to all the fans here in Buenos Aires for the warm welcome that I received in this first match and I hope to keep going with this energy," he said after the match.
The Spaniard also reflected on his recent troubles and admitted that it was a "great feeling" to finally win again after such a long time.
"It's a great feeling to win again. It's been a long time for me with no competition, with no matches, just recovering. Finally I got my first win of 2023," expressed the 19-year-old.
Top seed Alcaraz will lock horns with Dusan Lajovic in the quarterfinals of the Argentina Open on Friday.
