The Humility and Talent of Carlos Alcaraz: Denis Shapovalov's Admiration

• Tennis News
• Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz and Denis Shapovalov will compete in the Roland Garros third round, battling on Court Philippe-Chatrier in the night session. Shapovalov praised Alcaraz and his on and off court deeds, saying he is a big fan of his game and personality.

Shapovalov and Alcaraz both won two matches in Paris, but their positions are far from similar. Carlos is world no. 1, seeking his second Major crown and the fifth title of the season. On the other hand, Denis is yet to show his A-game this year, struggling with a knee injury and scoring only seven wins!

The Canadian is competing from outside the top-30 for the first time in years, heading to Paris to test his knee and play as many matches. Shapovalov understands who the favorite is, but he looks forward to meeting Alcaraz for the first time, ready to give his best and challenge the world's best player on his favorite surface.

Denis took down Brandon Nakashima in a five-setter in the first round and ousted Matteo Arnaldi in the second to reach the last 32 and set the anticipated clash against Carlos.

Denis Shapovalov praised Carlos Alcaraz ahead of their first duel.

"I mean, first of all, I'm a huge fan of Carlos. He wears the shirt on his sleeve well and is a great guy. He is super humble for achieving what he has at such a young age. You can see how much he enjoys being on the court and the situations coming to him.

Carlos is not in an ideal spot, being world no. 1 and with so much noise around him. I look up to him, not only for his results on the court. He always says hi in the locker room, and his words are always polite. Also, Carlos has a great team around him.

Playing against him will be challenging; it should be a tough battle. He is a great player on any surface, but especially on clay. I'm looking forward to playing a best-of-five match against him. I did not know what to expect heading to Paris.

I barely played tennis recently, trying to see how the knee will react this week and get as many matches. This is my best Roland Garros result, so maybe I should practice less. I will give my everything against Carlos and see how it goes, as it's always nice to play in these situations. Hopefully, my knee will endure," Denis Shapovalov said.