"Serena Williams came from a really humble life, family; it's admirable" – Carlos Alcaraz heaps praise on American on International Women’s Day
Former World No. 1 Serena Williams found special mention in Carlos Alcaraz's message on International Women's Day 2024.
The International Women's Day is marked on March 8 every year. It celebrates the contribution of a woman to the life of every individual attached to her in any capacity. The day also highlights a woman's larger role in the economic, cultural, and political roles all across the globe.
The men's tennis stars, including Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Alex de Minaur, Grigor Dimitrov, and Gael Monfils, came forward on Friday, March 8, to wish the special women in their lives on the occasion.
In his pick, Alcaraz heaped praise on the 23-time singles Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, who retired from the sport in 2022.
"I'm going to go for Serena, everything that she have [sic.] done in tennis, in life. And she came from a really humble life, family; It's admirable. So I'm going to pick her," he said in a video message posted by the ATP on Instagram.
Alcaraz is currently in California to defend his Indian Wells Masters title. He defeated Russia's Daniil Medvedev in the final last year. This year, he has already received a bye in his opener and is locked with Italy's Matteo Arnaldi for a second-round showdown.
Carlos Alcaraz ahead of Indian Wells Masters 2024: "I'm here to defend and I'm not thinking about anything else but that"
Carlos Alcaraz gained entry in the main draw in the singles category as the second seed. His title defense at the Indian Wells Masters 2024 will be challenged by top seed Novak Djokovic, in-form Jannik Sinner, and the ever-consistent Daniil Medvedev, among others.
The Spaniard, however, sounded optimistic about his chances while addressing the media ahead of the tournament.
"I'm coming here to defend the title. It's difficult… There are the best tennis players in the world, some of them are playing great tennis this year. I know it's going to be really difficult, but I'm here to do it. I'm here to try to defend the title. I've been feeling well in practice," Alcaraz said.
The two-time Grand Slam champion looks forward to putting behind the injury concern on his right ankle that he rolled at the Rio Open a couple of weeks ago.
"Probably some people are thinking about my ankle. Let's see if I'm going to stay 100 percent or not, but I'm feeling better as well. So let's see how the tournament is going to go. But I'm here to defend and I'm not thinking about anything else but that," Carlos Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz won the title last year by defeating Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 in the final.