World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz and tennis legend Boris Becker recently congratulated NBA sensation Jimmy Butler on his remarkable achievement of becoming the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
The Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 103-84 on the road in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday (May 29), advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2020. They also avoided becoming the first team to blow a 3-0 series lead.
Jimmy Butler won the Eastern Conference finals MVP award after the game, beating Caleb Martin by a slim margin of five votes to four, as the Heat celebrated inside a quickly emptying TD Garden.
Butler had 28 points (9/21 2PT, 3/7 3PT, 1/2 FT), seven rebounds, six assists, four steals, and one turnover in Game 7. The American averaged 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 2.6 steals in the seven-game series against the Celtics.
In view of this, Carlos Alcaraz showed his support for Jimmy Butler through his Instagram stories. He took a moment to acknowledge the 33-year-old's outstanding performance and extend his good wishes, writing:
"CONGRATS @jimmybutler!"
Adding to the chorus of congratulations, six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker joined the Spaniard in expressing his admiration and support for the NBA star via his Instagram stories.
Carlos Alcaraz eyes his 2nd Grand Slam title at the French Open 2023
Carlos Alcaraz is aiming for his second Grand Slam title at the ongoing French Open, having won his first Major at the 2022 US Open. He got off to a good start by overcoming Flavio Cobolli in the first round, defeating the Italian in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.
In a press conference following his victory, Alcaraz stated that, despite being in some 'trouble' during the match, he is 'happy' to advance to the second round of Roland-Garros.
"Well, I think I played great. It's been a great start here in Roland Garros, great match," he said. "You know, in the third set, I was in trouble a little bit. But, yeah, at the end, he played a good level so I'm really, really happy to get through the first round."
The Spaniard then acknowledged his upcoming opponent Taro Daniel's strong performance this year, highlighting his victories against top players and an impressive tournament prior to Roland Garros.
"Taro is having a great year. You know, he's playing great," Carlos Alcaraz said. "He has won great matches against great players, you know. And of course, he won easy against O'Connell, and he played a great tournament before Roland Garros."
The 20-year-old anticipates a challenging second-round match against Daniel and emphasizes the need to be prepared for a tough battle.
"So I know that the level of Taro, so it's going to be a really tough second round, really tough match," he said. "So I have to be ready for that, and I have to be prepared for a really tough one."