A Winning Bet Becomes the Talk of Shanghai
Carlos Alcaraz arrived at the Shanghai Rolex Masters turning heads for reasons that had nothing to do with his groundstrokes. The Spaniard stepped onto court sporting a moustache, a basketball-style outfit, and flowing long hair, a combination that sent social media into a frenzy before he even hit a ball. The story behind the look turned out to be delightfully simple: a bet with his team. Alcaraz revealed that he promised everyone on his support staff would have to grow moustaches if he won his previous tournament. He duly won the ATP 500 title in Tokyo last Tuesday, and the whole crew showed up in Shanghai with matching facial hair. "Let's see until when we're going to wear it," he said with a grin, adding that the group is simply having fun with it for now.
Alcaraz also spoke about how his outfit choice feeds directly into his confidence on court, saying that feeling comfortable in what you wear makes stepping out to compete feel noticeably better. It is worth remembering that this relaxed, playful version of Alcaraz is still returning from a four-month absence caused by a wrist injury, having come back at the US Open last month.
Comfortable Clothes, Uncomfortable Opponent
On the court itself, Alcaraz was all business. He dismissed Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3, 6-3 in front of an enthusiastic Shanghai crowd, moving into the third round with minimal fuss. He acknowledged a slightly uncomfortable opening, noting that conditions in Shanghai differ considerably from Tokyo and that he had only two days to adapt. Once he identified the need to play more aggressively, however, he quickly found his rhythm. He hinted that his level can still improve as the tournament progresses, which will worry the rest of the draw. TennisDraw users have Alcaraz among the most popular picks to go deep in Shanghai.
