Nadal helped inspire Alcaraz to Wimbledon title win, messages also from F1 ace Fernando Alonso, Will Smith and NBA star Jimmy Butler among others
ATP
Wimbledon’s newly-crowned champion Carlos Alcaraz has
revealed that a number of superstars including former world number one Rafael
Nadal congratulated him on his recent success.
The 20-year-old clinched the third Grand Slam of the year in
London after beating the current world number two Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in a
five-set thriller with a score of 1–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–1, 3–6, 6–4.
While talking after the match, the current world number one
stated that a host of stars congratulated him, including the likes of NBA star
Jimmy Butler and Will Smith.
He also stated that out of the congratulatory messages, it
was the message of the 22-time Grand Slam winner Nadal which excited him the
most.
"Rafa's, whenever he congratulates you, Rafa makes you
especially excited because in the end he is your idol,” he said. “I was also
congratulated by Fernando Alonso, who is someone I admire. Will Smith surprised
me that he congratulated me. My friend Jimmy Butler... There have been a lot of
messages that have made me excited.
"I don't want to leave anyone because there have been
many sports legends, artists... I saw that Sebastian Yatra dedicated a song to
me and said 'this is for you'. That all these people congratulate you is
exciting."
The victory in London was indeed a special one because, before this year, Alcaraz never played in the quarterfinal or beyond in the
competition. Last year was his best outing where he was knocked out from the
fourth round.
On the other hand, the defeat ended Djokovic’s hope — for at
least 12 months — of equaling Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles.
As of now, the 23-time Grand Slam winner is the joint
second-most successful player in the history of the competition with seven titles
to his name along with America’s Pete Sampras.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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