It’s common these days for sports crossovers. During the first round of the US Open 2024, tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz won over Li Tu in the third set. Usually, he is compared to athletes within the tennis community, like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djoković. ESPN’s Brad Gilbert couldn’t help but draw parallels between the Spaniard and NBA superstar Stephen Curry.
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Gilbert disclosed that the World No.3’s game reminded him a lot about Curry. Alcaraz was seemingly blushing and took the compliment graciously. Responding to the ESPN analyst, he revealed that he was unable to watch Curry and the USA Basketball play in Paris at the 2024 Olympics.
“I couldn’t. I would have loved to come over and watch the (USA) play basketball, but I couldn’t. You know, the tennis schedule is always so tight, so I couldn’t find the time to go.”
However, the four-time Grand Slam winner has been fortunate enough to witness the Golden State Warriors point guard play live. During the Miami Open 2024, the El Palmar native made his way to the Kaseya Center and was present on the sidelines for the Warriors-Heat contest.
From what he noticed, Curry was playing the game with joy. And the ATP star hoped to emulate this same trait when playing tennis. Alcaraz said,
“But I’ve watched him. I watched Steph Curry play in real life in Miami, and it was a joy. It was a privilege watching him play. I’m trying to do the same things as he’s doing, you know, in the basketball court, but it is difficult. But yeah, probably same games, same feelings that we try to put joy on games.”
“I’ve watched Steph Curry play in real life… I’m trying to do the same things as he’s doing in the basketball court, but it is difficult. Probably same games, same feelings that we try to put joy on games.”
Carlos Alcaraz on the Warriors star pic.twitter.com/5S5kYNJKjh
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 28, 2024
Though Steph and Alcaraz play different sports, they have a common trait of leaving their fans in awe with their unbelievable performance.
From what we’ve seen in the opening round of the New York-based major tournament, the youngster is having a great time entertaining fans. We can only expect him to keep up the impressive display at the Flushing Meadows for the next two weeks. Hopefully, Alcaraz can draw a reaction from Stephen Curry during the Grand Slam.
