Carlos Alcaraz is a tennis legend at 22 years of age, having recorded an incredible career so far.
The Spaniard has only played five full seasons on the ATP Tour, and has already picked up six Grand Slam singles titles; as many as Boris Becker.
Alcaraz claimed world number one status again this year, after adding two more major crowns to his tally at Roland Garros and the US Open.
However, even Alcaraz, the very best, still gets nervous when he takes centre stage, and particularly when there are celebrities in the crowd.
Carlos Alcaraz’s comments about Jimmy Butler in 2023
At the Miami Open in 2023, six-time NBA all-star Jimmy Butler attended one of Alcaraz’s matches.
Alcaraz, aged 19 at the time, earned a comfortable straight-sets victory against Dusan Lajovic and met the American basketball player afterwards.
As per ATP Tour, Butler said of Alcaraz: “He’s always poised. He’s never rattled, and more than anything, it looks like he’s having so much fun out there.
“I think whenever you have fun, and you have that mentality that you know you’re the best, you go out there and you play as though you’re the best, results happen, and he’s not number one for no reason.”
Reacting to his meeting with Butler, Alcaraz said: “I feel a little bit nervous when I see a person like Jimmy, celebrities, when I was playing, like in the US Open.
“For me, it’s unbelievable. In certain ways, I can’t believe that these people enjoy watching my matches for me. It’s crazy.”
Carlos Alcaraz’s result at the Miami Open after meeting Jimmy Butler
After beating Lajovic, Alcaraz advanced into the third round, where he earned another straight-sets win over US star Tommy Paul.
In the quarterfinals, Alcaraz beat another American in the form of Taylor Fritz, winning 6-4, 6-2 to set up a semifinal showdown with his rival, Jannik Sinner.
His bout with Sinner was the sixth in their now-iconic rivalry, and Alcaraz led the head-to-head 3-2 at the time.
Sinner ultimately levelled it up, though, and came back from a set down to beat Alcaraz and reach the Miami Open final.
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