Carlos Alcaraz celebrates turning 20 with giant cake-cutting after Madrid Open SF win
Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his 20th birthday in style as he stormed into the final of the 2023 Madrid Masters with an emphatic 6-4, 6-3 win over Borna Coric of Croatia.
A gigantic birthday cake was presented to Alcaraz, much to the delight of the Madrid crowd, who have witnessed the local hero playing sublime tennis throughout the competition thus far.
During an on-court interview following the victory and cake presentation, Alcaraz stressed that playing the Madrid Open final in a venue where he first made an appearance even before turning 12 meant a lot to him.
Asserting that he would attempt to make all of Spain happy after having savored a piece of the mammoth cake, the World No. 2 also reflected on his memories in the Spanish capital.
“It means a lot to me playing a final again in Madrid. It’s such a special place for me. I have great memories since I came here to play under 12. Turning 20 like that is so special. I’ll enjoy the final here & try to make all of Spain happy,” he stated.
After cutting a small slice from the birthday cake, Alcaraz ate some of the icing to celebrate his 20th birthday.
Cheeky bite 😊🍰
@carlosalcaraz #MMOpen https://t.co/tvG9waxSUn
With "Eye of the Tiger" playing in the background, as it has whenever Alcaraz has taken to the court in Madrid, spectators were quick to capture the priceless moment on their smartphones.
Carlos Alcaraz will face either Jan-Lennard Struff or Aslan Karatsev in the final. Struff and Karatsev will face each other later tonight for a spot in the title clash.
Carlos Alcaraz inches closer to World No. 1 spot after coasting to Madrid Masters final
Carlos Alcaraz has dropped only set at the 2023 Madrid Masters en route to the final.
Emil Ruusuvuori took the first set against the youngster and carried the momentum into the second before Alcaraz scripted a remarkable comeback to win 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Grigor Dimitrov failed to trouble the defending champion, going down 6-2, 7-5 before Alexander Zverev, who was expected to give Alcaraz a tough fight, went down in straight sets as well 6-1, 6-2.
Karen Khachanov led 5-2 in the second set after losing the opening set 6-4. However, Alcaraz showed why he is one of the best players in the world right now, fighting back to win the second set 7-5 and book his place in the semis.
With a win in the final on Sunday, May 7, Carlos Alcaraz can close the gap between himself and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic to five points.