NBA star Jimmy Butler and Colombian singer J Balvin recently met Carlos Alcaraz and showed their support for the Spaniard in his 2023 US Open run.
The two celebrities, who were wearing cowboy hats, praised Alcaraz for his performance and Butler promised to return on Friday to watch his potential semifinal match.
Alcaraz, who is the defending champion, has been dominating the tournament so far. The 20-year-old recently defeated Matteo Arnaldi in the fourth round in straight sets on Monday.
The video of their encounter was posted on the official Twitter (now X) account of the US Open on Tuesday, September 5. In the clip, Alcaraz can be seen greeting Butler and Balvin with a smile and a hug. Butler then told him that he will be back on Friday to watch him repeat his title run.
"I’ll be back. I’m finna go to LA, but I’ll come back here to watch you repeat. So I’ll be back on Friday," Butler said.
Alcaraz then joked about winning his upcoming quarterfinal match against Alexander Zverev on Wednesday.
"Friday, I'm gonna win on Wednesday."
Butler recently surprised everyone by dressing up as a ball boy and taking to the court for a charity exhibition match between Alcaraz and American Frances Tiafoe. The event, called Stars of the Open, was aimed at raising funds for humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine.
Butler participated in a training session with the US Open ball crew before the match and learned how to roll, feed, and collect balls. The 33-year-old also got a chance to rally with Alcaraz and even won a point off him with a clever lob shot that left the Spaniard stunned.
The match was a fun-filled affair that entertained the fans and raised $320,000 for a good cause.
Carlos Alcaraz will take on Alexander Zverev in the US Open quarterfinals
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz will face 12th seed Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals of the 2023 US Open on Wednesday, September 6.
Defending champion Alcaraz has dropped only one set in his four matches so far, beating Matteo Arnaldi, Dan Evans, Lloyd Harris, and Dominik Koepfer with ease.
Zverev, on the other hand, has had a more difficult path to the last eight. The 26-year-old survived a five-set thriller against Jannik Sinner in the fourth round, after overcoming Grigor Dimitrov, Daniel Altmaier, and Aleksandar Vukic in previous rounds.
The quarterfinal clash between Alcaraz and Zverev will be a fascinating contrast of styles and personalities. The Spaniard is a fiery competitor who likes to dictate the rallies with his heavy forehand and aggressive baseline game.
Meanwhile, the German is a more composed and versatile player who can mix up his shots with his powerful serve and backhand.
Both players have faced each other five times before, with the German having a slight edge in their head-to-head record, 3-2. Carlos Alcaraz will be aiming to continue his fairy-tale run and reach his fourth Grand Slam semifinal.