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Despite withdrawing from the 2024 Rio Open due to an ankle injury, Carlos Alcaraz's decision to watch the semifinal between Sebastian Baez and Francisco Cerundolo on February 25 has been praised by tennis fans around the globe.
Alcaraz, who retired mid-match from his first-round encounter against Brazil's Thiago Monteiro, later revealed that he was diagnosed with a Grade 2 lateral sprain, which will sideline him for a few days.
However, a video of the Spaniard watching the semifinal at the ATP 500 tournament amid his injury was posted on Reddit, which instantly evoked a flurry of responses from fans.
Fans heaped praises on the two-time Grand Slam champion, stating that he always sports a smile and remains positive. They also said that it is good to see him being so "down to earth."
"They could kidnap and hold him hostage and he’d still be [smiling]😁😁😁," a fan wrote on Reddit.
"Man, I wish I could be like Carlos. Always, with a smile, always being positive," one fan posted.
"This guy is so down-to-earth. Really great to watch this stuff," another wrote.
"Dudes permanently in good spirits," another fan posted.
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
Carlos Alcaraz set to defend Indian Wells title in March
Carlos Alcaraz is eying a return at the Indian Wells Masters, which will take place from March 6-17. Before that, he is set to play an exhibition match with Rafael Nadal in Las Vegas on March 3. The event is being dubbed the 'Netflix Slam.'
Alcaraz won the first leg of the Sunshine Double last year by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final in straight sets. Along the way, the Spaniard claimed wins over Thanasi Kokkinakis, Tallon Griekspoor, Jack Draper, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz became the youngest player to become the World No. 1 after winning the 2022 US Open when he was just 19 years, four months and six days old. He won Wimbledon in 2023 after defeating the defending champion Novak Djokovic in a tight five-set encounter.
Alcaraz's latest injury comes at a time when his arch-rival Jannik Sinner is closing in on his World No. 2 position. Sinner, who won the Australian Open this year by defeating Medvedev in the final, is behind the Spaniard by just 535 points, who has 1000 points to defend in Indian Wells a month later.
