Alcaraz 'shocked' after meeting Maria Sharapova in Toronto: "I didn't expect her to be here"

World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz recently had a surprise meeting when he unexpectedly bumped into retired tennis star Maria Sharapova.

Alcaraz is currently in Toronto for the Canadian Open, whereas Sharapova is attending the Unmatched Gender Equity in Sports Conference in Ontario. The two bumped into each other, with Alcaraz expressing delight at meeting the former World No.1.

“I have seen many of her matches, she was a fantastic tennis player, one of the best in the world,” Alcaraz, who defeated Ben Shelton in straight sets in his opening match in Toronto on Wednesday, said. “And I was shocked because I didn’t expect her to be here in Toronto.

“And she was the first to get on the elevator and I was like, ‘Is it Maria or not?’ It’s been great meeting her and knowing that she’s doing great right now. I was able to talk to her a bit and it was very nice.”

Earlier this year Sharapova praised two-time major champion Alcaraz as she admitted she was impressed with his “fighting spirit” and described him as a “one-of-a-kind player”.