La Jornada – Carlos Alcaraz oversees an evening of tennis in Plaza Mexico

How many tennis players have been able to beat Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal on the same stage? just one. The protagonist of last night’s evening in Plaza de Toros Mexico: Carlos Alcaraz.

The Spaniard, ranked second in the world rankings, shone with the Insurgentes giant yesterday, as he faced American Tommy Paul in a lively duel.

Alcaraz, born in Murcia, defeated the world number 13, 7-6, 6-3, in a duel that lasted for more than an hour, amid the enthusiasm of 20,348 fans.

The player, who won the Wimbledon Championship at the age of 20 by defeating Djokovic, started the first set somewhat turbulently, with some unforced errors that extended the set until the tie-break, from which he emerged victorious (7).

With his elegant two-handed backhand and volleys that were key to his Grand Slam titles, Carlos put in a huge effort in the second game to seal his victory.

Even though he did not give his best, the boy with the eternal smile won the hearts of the fans who came to the call.

Since his introduction on the field, the player has attracted the attention of the white sports fans, who have not stopped applauding each of his points during the traditional “waving” performance.

Although he in turn was unable to overcome his rival, Paul, last year’s Stockholm champion, is one of the few players who can still boast equal match play with Alcaraz; He has been beaten in the Canadian Masters 1000 the past two years and lost in Miami and Cincinnati in 2023.

Although Carlos and Tommy did not attract the number of spectators exceeding 40,000 that Roger Federer achieved in 2019, they made the crowds who attended the building crawl.

“It’s something unique to be able to play here. I felt very special. I took out my phone to record the moment so I never forget it. It was a big challenge, but in the end we achieved amazing shots.” Alcaraz said.

Sakkari defeats Wozniak

Greek tennis player Maria Sakkari defeated Danish Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-4 in the duel that opened the tennis day in the bullring.

The new Guadalajara Open champion made the predictions right and triumphed in front of a crowd dedicated to her game.

Sakkari took the first set in 30 minutes against an opponent who showed good touch despite being ranked 243rd in the rankings.

Wozniacki, the former world number one, was not impressed by the world number nine and showed resistance for an hour and 14 minutes.

Once the matches were over, the players received trophies in addition to a national team shirt and a Charo hat.