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In an unexpected turn of events at the US Open 2023, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz had an easy night when his opponent, Dominic Koepfer, was forced to retire due to an ankle injury.
Koepfer rolled his left ankle just six points in the contest. Midway through the second set, the 29-year-old decided to retire from the match with Alcaraz in the lead 6-2, 3-2.
Following his win, Alcaraz was interviewed on the court and was asked to sing a snippet of the song "VaGaBuNdO" by his close friend, Colombian singer Sebastian Yatra, who was in the stands. He graciously sang a few lines without hesitation.
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Tennis fans were amazed by this and took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their feelings, with one claiming that if Alcaraz can sing on demand in front of a stadium full of people, he will easily defend his title in New York.
"A guy who has the courage to sing on demand in front of a stadium full of people will have no problem defending a grand slam title. Just saying," the user wrote.
Another user stated that this is why people "adore" Alcaraz because he is so "authentic."
"This is why he’s already so adored. It’s natural and not forced. He’s just authentic and having fun and people see there is no phony about him at all," the user tweeted.
Another account posted:
"I’m telling ya…when put under pressure on ashe, carlos is bound to deliver."
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
"It's obviously not the best way to get through to the next round" - Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz stated in his on-court interview that it was not the best way to advance to the next round as his opponent, Dominik Koepfer, was injured. However, the Spaniard also expressed his delight with his form, saying he was feeling really good and energetic on the court.
"It's obviously not the best way to get through to the next round. It's very unfortunate for him but I was feeling really good on court. It's a court I love playing in. I felt the same energy I felt last year," he said.
Alcaraz has lost his World No. 1 ranking to Novak Djokovic, who won his first-round match at the US Open against Alexandre Muller on Monday (August 28). The Serb will officially sit on the top spot again when the rankings are updated after the conclusion of the New York Slam.
The young Spaniard will next face South Africa's Lloyd Harris, who defeated Guido Pella in straight sets in his first-round clash.
