Carlos Alcaraz toppled Alexander Zverev to move to the semi-finals of the 2023 US Open. After his win, he celebrated by imitating Real Madrid’s $110,000,000 superstar Jude Bellingham. He then posted an image of him celebrating on Twitter (now X) and tagged the English footballer.
Alcaraz is an avid Real Madrid fan, previously advocating for Kylian Mbappe to join the club. He also hailed Bellingham, who, like Alcaraz, is already one of the best in his sport, aged only 20. The Spaniard waxed lyrical and called the midfielder a ‘great, talented player’.
Carlos Alcaraz gives shout-out to Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham
Carlos Alcaraz moved a step closer to defending his crown after downing Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. The German was coming off a nearly five-hour round of 16 match against Jannik Sinner, and his fatigue was evident. A medical time-out did not help as a drained Zverev was swept aside by Alcaraz.
Next up for the World No.1 is a stern challenge in the form of Daniil Medvedev. If he gets past the Russian, he will likely run into arch-nemesis Novak Djokovic in the final. The Serb is heavily tipped to beat American rookie Ben Shelton in their semi-final. Alcaraz will be mentally prepared to face Djokovic in a rematch of their incredible Cincinnati Open final and exact revenge.
Following his win over Zverev, Alcaraz celebrated by throwing his arms wide open. The Real Madrid fan was celebrating like the club’s latest superstar, Bellingham, who was signed for $110 million. The midfielder’s career with Los Blancos is off to a flying start, with five goals in four games.
After each goal, he has pulled off this celebration. Alcaraz decided to copy this celebration and also posted it to Twitter, tagging Bellingham. He also referred to the popular The Beatles’ song ‘Hey Jude’, used by Real Madrid fans to serenade their midfielder.
Hey Jude! 🙌🏻 @BellinghamJude pic.twitter.com/dJMrqBOTVi
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) September 7, 2023
Alcaraz has spoken highly of fellow young superstar Bellingham
Just like his tennis icon and fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal, Alcaraz is an outspoken Madridista. He recently lavished praise on Bellingham, who joined the La Liga club in a blockbuster deal in June. The Spaniard said he was thrilled to see the midfielder at Real Madrid, tipping him to become one of the best in the world. The Wimbledon champion also revealed that he spoke a bit with Bellingham, calling him a great person. The Englishman, for his part, replied to Alcaraz’s recent tweet, saying “keep going mate”.
Alcaraz knows a thing or two about being one of the best in your sport at a young age. He dethroned the legendary Djokovic to become World No.1 when he was barely 19. Bellingham was one of the best players for German club Borussia Dortmund after joining them aged only 17 before joining Madrid this year aged 20.
The two 20-year-olds, who are already playing at an elite level and are amongst the best, are heralded as the future megastars of their respective fields. Going toe-to-toe with veterans of their game, the duo have ensured that the future of their respective sports is in safe hands. Alcaraz will now focus on defending his US Open championship while Bellingham will turn to his international duties with England.
