After winning the French Open—one of the four coveted majors in tennis—Carlos Alcaraz immediately shed the reserved nature prevalent in the sport and shared his exuberance with the ball boys and girls who had been working the event.
The 22-year-old from Spain strolled over to the cheering ball boys and girls and formed a celebratory huddle that soon included the large silver cup.
The joyful video has since gone viral on social media.
“Coolest thing I’ve seen from a professional sports player in a long time,” one commenter on Instagram wrote.
“Dude just played one of the most grueling matches ever and is jumping up and down with those kids hanging on him,” said another on Reddit. “What a legend.”
The thrilling comeback victory over Jannik Sinner after losing the first two sets was Alcaraz’s second straight French Open title. He overcame the initial deficit to win the next three sets, including the last two in a tiebreaker—4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2). Lasting five hours and 29 minutes, it was the longest final match in the modern French Open era.
“You have to keep fighting. It’s a Grand Slam final, it’s no time to be tired, no time to give up,” Alcaraz told the Associated Press. “The real champions are made in those situations.”
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Alcaraz will battle again for his sixth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon at the end of June, but will likely have few photos as memorable as these— featuring not only himself, but the normally voiceless kids who serve as ball boys and girls.
SHARE ALCARAZ’S JOY with All the Tennis Fans You Know On Social Media…