Tennis and football worlds have once again converged as rising star Carlos Alcaraz made an appearance in a promotional video released by Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday.
The governing body of football, FIFA, has finally put out a list of cities and venues that will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The grand event will be played in the US, Mexico, and Canada. Miami is one of the 11 US cities that have been chosen to host World Cup matches, which will be played at the stunning Hard Rock Stadium.
The Twitter account of the Miami Open congratulated the city and expressed its excitement for the mega event.
"Congrats to Miami on becoming 1 of 16 @FIFAWorldCup's #HostCity2026. We can't wait to watch some football at @HardRockStadium in 2026!" they wrote.
But what does this have to do with tennis prodigy Carlos Alcaraz? Well, it's because in April of this year, the Spaniard won his first-ever ATP Masters 1000 tournament — the 2022 Miami Open. Interestingly, the event was played at the Hard Rock Stadium.
On his way to glory, the 18-year-old (now 19) beat some of the best players on tour such as Marin Cilic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Hubert Hurkacz. In the title match, Alcaraz defeated Norway's Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-4 to become the youngest man to win the tournament.
Apart from Miami, the Spaniard has also won the Rio Open, the Barcelona Open, and the Madrid Masters this year.
Carlos Alcaraz hopeful of winning first Grand Slam at Wimbledon
After a magnificent first-half of the season with four titles, World No. 7 Carlos Alcaraz is eyeing his first Major title at the All England Club. A few days before the Queen's Club Championships commenced, Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament citing an elbow issue but assured everyone of playing at SW19.
Since then, multiple videos of the 19-year-old sweating it out have appeared on the internet, the latest being Alcaraz playing on synthetic grass.
At a recent event, the Spanish star recalled the 2008 Wimbledon final, where Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer in five sets to lift the trophy for the first time. Alcaraz expressed his wish to win the tournament and play some epic matches like this one.
"Of course I see it as a possibility. In the end, it is the dream that I am looking and working for every day," Alcaraz said.
Everyone remembers the 2008 final between Nadal and Federer. It is considered one of the best matches in history and it was spectacular. Rafa has won historic matches several times at Wimbledon, and I say to myself, 'I wish I could be there playing these kinds of matches'," Alcaraz added.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here