Bjorn Borg, David Villa among stars in attendance during Carlos Alcaraz's birthday victory over Borna Coric in Madrid Open SF
Tennis veteran Bjorn Borg, iconic rally driver Carlos Sainz Sr. and football legends David Villa and Raúl showed up at the Madrid Open on Friday (May 5) to witness the semifinal between Carlos Alcaraz and Borna Coric.
The US Open champion was facing Croatia's Borna Coric in the semifinal fixture of the clay court competition on his birthday, May 5, when all these icons were spotted sitting in the audience at the Manolo Santana enjoying the match.
Carlos Alcaraz's performance over the last year has been stellar. The Spaniard just turned 20, and he's already ruling the tennis world with his strong strokes and athleticism. Hence, it wasn't a surprise that tennis legend Bjorn Borg showed up on the birthday of the young talent.
Recently, other football players such as Vinicius, Federico Valverde, Rodrygo and Dani Ceballos also came to support the young tennis sensation at the Madrid Open.
The Spaniard missed the Australian Open and a few other events on the ATP Tour following a right leg injury that he sustained during training. However, his comeback was much bigger than the setback.
Alcaraz clinched the Indian Wells Masters, overcoming the likes of top young stars such as Jannik Sinner, Felix Auger Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev. He carried the same momentum into the Miami Open in hopes of becoming the youngest player to complete the Sunshine Double.
However, he suffered a heartbreaking loss against Sinner in the semifinal. Learning from the loss, the Spaniard successfully defended his title at Real Club de Tenis Barcelona against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Moreover, he's now in the final of the Madrid Open too.
Carlos Alcaraz recorded a win against Borna Coric in the semifinal of the Madrid Open
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz took down Croatia's Borna Coric to secure a berth in the final of the Mutua Madrid Open. The match was a cagey affair at first, with neither player not ready to give their opponent a single point.
Coric was making Alcaraz work hard for every single point. However, as the match started picking up pace, the US Open champion seemed to gain the upper hand through his on-court performance and agility. The first set of the match concluded after one hour and two minutes in favor of Alcaraz, 6-4.
The second set also started on an even keel between the two brilliant tennis talents. After four games, the score was 2-2, but Coric wasn't able to repel Alcaraz and eventually lost the match 6-4, 6-3.
The 20-year-old Alcaraz is now just one step away from defending his Mutua Madrid Open title successfully in front of his home crowd.