"You have become an unbeatable ambassador" - Carlos Alcaraz honored with special street mural in his hometown of Murcia

Carlos Alcaraz is all set to transition from the clay courts of Roland Garros to the grasscourts of Wimbledon. But before his departure to the UK and after some much-needed rest post the clay season, the teenage tennis sensation had a special surprise waiting for him in his hometown.

Earlier on Monday, the 19-year-old was honored with a street mural in his local village of El Palmar, in the Murcia region of Southeast Spain. Alcaraz himself inaugurated the mural, which is an impressive bit of artwork depicting him playing a backhand.

Alcaraz arrived for the inauguration and was greeted by dignitaries present, including Mayor José Antonio Serrano and Deputy Mayor Mario Gomez. He also received a huge round of applause from fans present at the venue.

The youngster arrived in El Palmar to spend some time at home before he is back on the road for the next string of tournaments. Mayor Serrano reserved high praise for Carlos Alcaraz, calling him "an unbeatable ambassador" for Murcia.

"You are going to give us a lot of joy and all of Murcia will be with you encouraging you and pushing you towards success."

"As Mayor of Murcia, I cannot help but congratulate you for bearing the name of our municipality and your district, El Palmar, around the world. You have become an unbeatable ambassador," the Mayor said of Alcaraz.

The mural is said to be 400 square-meters wide, with 300 kilograms of plastic being used in various shades. Additionally, varnish has been applied to prevent the mural's degradation and preserve the shine.

Alcaraz is expected to play the warm-up event at Queen's Club before the start of Wimbledon on June 27th. Last year, the Spaniard lost to Daniil Medvedev in the second round at SW19 in his tournament debut.

"I'm not far away to reach a semifinal or be able to win a Grand Slam" - Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz in action at the 2022 French Open

Carlos Alcaraz exuded confidence with regard to his immediate future despite his quarterfinal exit from the 2022 French Open. Speaking at his press conference after his loss to Alexander Zverev last week, Alcaraz admitted he has to improve to be able to win Majors, but feels he is ready to take the leap.

"I have to take the lesson. I mean, I have to improve to the next Grand Slam or next matches. But I would say I'm not far away to reach a semifinal or be able to win a Grand Slam."

"Just take the lesson, let's say, in these kind of matches. I would say I have the level, I have the confidence to win a Grand Slam or pass through to the semifinal next time," the World No. 7 expressed

It will be interesting to see how Alcaraz fares on grass courts after earning most of his success on clay and hard courts so far. Having said that, he is experiencing a rich vein of form to go along with his confident mindset and could adapt to the surface for a good run.