"Watching Carlos Alcaraz play tennis makes me smile" - Andy Murray gushes over Spaniard's performance in Miami Open 2R win

Andy Murray expressed his admiration for the World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, stating that watching the latter play tennis brings a smile to his face.

Murray and Alcaraz are both alive in the main draw at the 2024 Miami Open.

On Saturday (March 23), during Alcaraz’s second-round match against Roberto Carballes Baena at the Miami Open, Murray took to social media to express his admiration for the Spaniard.

"Watching Alcaraz play tennis makes me smile," Murray wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Alcaraz expressed his gratitude to the Brit, replying:

"Andy!! THANKS MAN!"

This is not the first time Murry lauded the two-time Grand Slam champion. Earlier this month, the Brit admired Alcaraz’s unique style of play, highlighting his mix of "variety" and "power".

The 36-year-old also praised Alcaraz’s boldness in court experimentation and his unpredictable style that keeps everyone guessing.

"I love watching [Carlos] Alcaraz ‘cause of the way that he plays the game. He’s just got so much variety and power, and he tries stuff. He doesn’t always get it right; he makes mistakes, and that is also something that I enjoy. You never know what’s going to come next," Murray said on Tennis Channel (at 02:59).

Murray and Alcaraz's head-to-head record stands at 1-1. In their first encounter at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open second round, Murray won 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. However, the Spaniard avenged his defeat later that year in the Round of 16 in Vienna with a straight-set win.

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A look into Carlos Alcaraz and Andy Murray's upcoming 3R matches at the 2024 Miami Open

Carlos Alcaraz and Andy Murray at the Erste Bank Open

Carlos Alcaraz will face Frenchman Gael Monfils in the third round of the 2024 Miami Open.

Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon and Indian Wells Masters champion, began his 2024 Miami Open campaign with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over compatriot Roberto Carballes Baena. The 20-year-old, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the world, is the top seed in the tournament following Novak Djokovic's withdrawal.

On the other hand, Monfils defeated Dusan Lajovic 7-6(5), 6-4 in the first round, and followed it with a three-set win over 33rd seed Jordan Thompson in the second.

Alcaraz and Monfils will be meeting for the second time on the tour. Alcaraz emerged victorious 7-5, 6-1 when they met in the Round of 16 in Indian Wells two years ago.

In the other third-round match in Miami, Andy Murray will face off against Czech Tomas Machac on Sunday, March 24. Murray, the former world No. 1, started his Miami Open campaign with a comeback win over Matteo Berrettini, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The Brit then faced 29th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second round, where he secured a straight-set victory.

On the other hand, Machac started off by defeating American Darwin Blanch 6-4, 6-2 and then pulled off an upset by beating the fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 in the second round.

In terms of head-to-head record, Machac currently leads with a 1-0 advantage over Murray. Their previous encounter was at the Marseille Open, where the Czech emerged victorious 7-5, 6-4.