Watch: Carlos Alcaraz cannot stop smiling after meeting adorable ball dogs at Rio Open

World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz has been enjoying the company of the special ‘ball dogs’ at the ongoing 2023 Rio Open.

Wearing an orange bandana and wristbands as part of their uniform, five specially trained shelter dogs have been retrieving balls at the tournament, much to the delight of the crowd.

The rescue dogs are cared for by a local shelter and are up for adoption. The furry ball retrievers made their first appearance at the tournament back in 2016.

In a video widely shared on social media, Alcaraz can be seen holding a few of the dogs. The reigning US Open champion smiles lovingly and strokes them while patiently posing with it on the net.

"He's got that dawg in him," read the post.

While Alcaraz is known for his aggression on the court, the 19-year old showed his softer side at this year's tournament with a kind gesture towards some ball kids.

Carlos Alcaraz kickstarted his 2023 Rio Open campaign on Wednesday, February 22 with a straight-sets victory over Mateus Alves in the first round.

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Carlos Alcaraz to lock horns with Fabio Fognini in R2 of Rio Open 2023

Carlos Alacaraz at the 2022 Paris Masters

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz progressed to the Round of 16 of the Rio Open after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Mateus Alves on Wednesday. The World No. 2 will face Italian Fabio Fognini in the next round.

Fognini, who lifted the doubles trophy at the tournament last year with compatriot Simone Bolelli, comes into the match with a straight set victory over Tomas Barrios Vera in the first round.

Alcaraz, the defending singles champion, came into the tournament fresh after his victory at the Argentina Open, his first title of the season. He has a 4-0 win-loss record in 2023 so far, highlighting his great form currently.

In his post-match interview, Carlos Alcaraz spoke highly of Fogini and believed that he would have to be "at the top of his game" in the coming round against the Italian veteran.

"Fabio is a great tennis player, has a brilliant career and plays at a very high level. He’s very talented and is very unpredictable on court. I have to me at the top of my game, but it’s going to be a very complicated match," he said.

Interestingly, the only time the two players met on-court was in the semifinals of the 2022 Rio Open.

The match is scheduled for Friday, 24 February at the Qadra Guga Kuerten.