Global No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz is back at the Miami Masters in 2024, looking to win the championship a second time. In the third round, he defeated French veteran Gael Monfils in a thrilling encounter that attracted athletic royalty. Global superstars Neymar and Jimmy Butler were among them.
Butler has long been a fan of Neymar, having watched the Brazilian captain his nation to gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016. The Miami Heat player has developed a bond with fellow Floridian Coco Gauff as a result of attending tennis tournaments frequently in the United States.
Neymar is currently playing for the Saudi Arabian team, Al Hilal. But an unfortunate injury in October 2023 saw him get sidelined. He has since then been recovering and that’s allowed him some free time. The two icons of their sport caught up in Miami to catch Alcaraz and Monfils in action, and they were not disappointed.
Monfils has earned his tag as the ‘showman’ of the sport owing to his unimaginable shots and athleticism. While Alcaraz is yet to get a similar tag, he is following in Monfils’ footsteps. The two put on a great show during the 1 hour and 14 minute duel with Alcaraz winning it with a 6-2, 6-4 score.
Following his win, Alcaraz met Neymar and Butler in the common area. The trio had a heartfelt conversation and later posed for pictures. With Alcaraz being a big soccer fan, he would have surely enjoyed meeting Neymar, who was once part of FC Barcelona in Spain, before his move to Paris Saint Germain.
Greatness recognizes greatness. pic.twitter.com/np0BNc93O1
— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 26, 2024
Butler and Alcaraz had played a doubles exhibition match as well at the 2023 US Open. The two have become good friends lately and the former World No. 1 has often received big praise from the NBA star.
Carlos Alcaraz also met Juan Martin del Potro before he clashed with Gael Monfils
While Alcaraz is turning into a crowd-puller, he is also attracting the greats of the sport. Before his match against Monfils, he had a small meeting with former World No. 3 and 2009 US Open champ Juan Martin del Potro.
As Alcaraz was warming up, he caught del Potro nearby and the two quickly waved hands at each other. The Spaniard rushed to hug the Argentine and had a small exchange before returning to his training. del Potro was later spotted in the stands, catching the action live.
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The 22-time Tour title winner was also present when Alcaraz posed for pictures with Neymar and Butler. Neymar and del Potro were later seen walking together and indulged in a conversation as the two South Americans enjoyed each other’s company.
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Following the win, Alcaraz will now take on Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth round. Musetti defeated home favorite Ben Shelton in straight sets to reach the fourth round for the first time in Miami. He trails the Spaniard 1-2 in their head-to-head.
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