Carlos Alcaraz has not only shown that he has the makings of a champion due to his great talent with the racket, but he also stands out for his values on the court. The Murcian left one of the images of the season by offering shelter to the ball boys in the face of the intense rain that was present in Rio and that ended up forcing the match against Fede Delbonis to be suspended in the round of 16. Alcaraz was serving to win the first set (5-4), when it was decided to postpone the match to this Friday.
Carlos Alcaraz is this week in Rio de Janeiro, where he is playing the Brazilian tournament on clay. There, the Murcian debuted on the professional circuit two years ago and now he has arrived with the mission of winning the first title of the season. The tennis player from El Palmar began his career at the Río Open 2022 with a victory against Jaume Munar, with a comeback in between, and in the round of 16 he met a veteran like the Argentine Fede Delbonis.
Alcaraz soon opened the lead on the scoreboard after taking the Argentine’s service in the third game and with great strength on serve he managed to maintain the advantage. The Spaniard dominated on the scoreboard 5-4, and 30-30 with his service, to close the first set, but heavy rain was present and forced the match to be stopped. Carlos Alcaraz took refuge on his bench, which had a small booth, and did not hesitate to offer the ball boys to sit there with him. Somewhat shy, they both approached and exchanged smiles and a few words with the tennis player.
Wholesome rain delay content 😊☂️@alcarazcarlos03 and the ball kids sharing an umbrella is what we love to see!@RioOpenOficial pic.twitter.com/SK6SxadZwL
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 18, 2022
The rain was so intense that it was decided to postpone the match, which will end this Friday in Rio de Janeiro. The match is scheduled in the second round of the main court, after the match between Matteo Berrettini and Thiago Monteiro that starts at 2:30 p.m. local time (around 6:30 p.m. in Spain). Precisely, from that match Alcaraz’s possible rival would come out in case of advancing to the quarterfinals, so there could be a possible reunion with his last executioner at the Australian Open. The Italian took the battle in the fifth set in a great match on Aussie soil.
On the other hand, Pablo Andújar will also take to the track this Friday in Rio to face Argentine Diego Schwartzman. Cuenca is, together with Alcaraz, the only representative in the individual draw since Pablo Carreño, Fernando Verdasco, Albert Ramos, Pedro Martínez and Roberto Carballés fell in the round of 16.
