"Carlos Alcaraz took his jacket off, this guy is a beast" - Li Tu gushes over Spaniard's physique after US Open 2024 1R defeat

Carlos Alcaraz left a lasting impression on his first-round opponent at the 2024 US Open, Li Tu. The Aussie said he was mesmerized by the Spaniard's physique when the latter took off his jacket during the coin toss.

Alcaraz faced Tu on Tuesday, August 27, in his campaign opener at the New York Major. The 21-year-old wore a sleeveless all-black kit sponsored by Nike. He got off the blocks strong and won the first set dropping just two games.

Tu came back into the match by winning the second set with the help of Alcaraz's 18 unforced errors. However, the Spaniard was in complete control of proceedings in the next two sets and won the match 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

In a post-match interview, Tu opened up about the moment he met his first Top 50 opponent on court. The third seed came out wearing a jacket but when he took it off for the coin toss, Tu was taken aback.

"I'm not gonna lie, he came out, he was in his jacket, I was like 'okay'. We go to the coin toss, and he took his jacket off, and I was like, 'Dude, this guy is a specimen, this guy is a beast!', like I just couldn't stop looking at his shoulder definition, and the veins. And the forehand says he's got some serious weaponry," Tu said.

This was just a second Grand Slam main draw appearance for the 28-year-old. The Adelaide native's last Major appearance was at the 2021 Australian Open.

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Carlos Alcaraz blames unforced errors for hiccup in 1R win over Li Tu at US Open 2024

Carlos Alcaraz. (Image: Getty)

Carlos Alcaraz made two unforced errors in the first set but the number rose manifold in the second set. During a post-match interview, the Spaniard pointed to it as the problem in his match.

“The first set, I made just two unforced errors. The second set I made 18. That was the huge difference for me,” Alcaraz said.

“He started to play better, obviously serving better, playing more aggressive and not making a lot of mistakes that he did in the first set. But talking about myself, it was from two to 18 unforced errors, a huge difference for me."

The Spaniard has now won 60 matches at the Grand Slam level and currently is on a 15-match win streak. He will attempt to improve those numbers when he takes on Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round. The 2021 quarter-finalist got the better of Denis Shapovalov in the first round 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.