Carlos Alcaraz's "exciting" brand of tennis gets a nod of appreciation from NFL star Larry Fitzgerald

Larry Fitzgerald recently acknowledged two-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz's brand of tennis.

Fitzgerald is one of the biggest names in the NFL. He represented the Pittsburgh Panthers in 2002-2003 when he was in college and was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2004. He remained with the Cardinals till 2020 and hasn't played since then, however, he hasn't yet formally announced his retirement.

Tennis Channel recently hosted Fitzgerald for a chat where he disclosed his love for tennis and voiced his deep admiration for tennis players. He was quoted as saying:

"I’ve always loved tennis, had a great appreciation for it since I was a child, you know, I never miss a Grand Slam event, usually watching it. Only the Australian Open is sometimes a little difficult with the time change but I always love watching."

"I think tennis athletes are the best in the world, you think about the anaerobic workout that they have and the change of direction, the long rallies, I mean it’s really a special athlete to be able to compete on the highest level," he added.

Fitzgerald then revealed that he enjoys watching Carlos Alcaraz showcase his skills on the court, saying:

"I went to the US Open last year, I would say one person I get excited about is Alcaraz, you know, to be able to see someone got to be able to pull off… I still marvel at that sliding backhand that he hits down the line."

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"I don’t know how the heck is Carlos Alcaraz able to not sprain his ankles when he’s hitting that shot with so much power" - Larry Fitzgerald

Carlos Alcaraz stretches to hit a backhand at the 2024 Madrid Open

During the same conversation with the Tennis Channel, Larry Fitzgerald admitted that he and his sons, Devin and Apollo, failed to imitate Carlos Alcaraz's slide in their backyard.

"Me and my boys would go out and mess around in the backyard like messing around trying to do it and we fall down. I don’t know how the heck is he able to not sprain his ankles when he’s hitting that shot with so much power," Fitzgerald said.

Carlos Alcaraz is currently participating in the 2024 Madrid Open where he cruised past Alexander Shevchenko in the second round on Friday, April 26, after receiving a bye in the first.

The Spaniard defeated Shevchenko 6-2, 6-1 on the back of seven break points to advance to the next round where he will battle with Brazil's Thiago Seyboth Wild.