Carlos Alcaraz Breaks the Internet with Incredible Backward Facing Defense Shot at Shanghai Masters

Carlos Alcaraz has begun the Shanghai Masters with the same intensity that he left the Beijing Open 2024. The Spaniard needed only one hour and 16 minutes to breeze into the third round after facing hometown hero Shang Juncheng. Alcaraz’s dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory witnessed a plethora of highlight moments, but one particular rally took the tennis community by storm like no other.

During his first service game of the second set, Alcaraz rushed to the net with hopes of finishing the point. However, Shang smartly lobbed it over his opponent, placing the return right on the baseline.

Everyone, including Shang, believed that the point was over. But Alcaraz wasn’t ready to give up just yet. Showing off his pace, Alcaraz rushed back a few meters behind the baseline and mesmerized the crowd with a stunning backward-facing recovery shot.

The audience present in the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena erupted in astonishment as soon as Alcaraz pulled off the shot. The Spaniard eventually won that rally after Shang hit one over the line.

The clip of the same rally also went viral on social media in no time, receiving reactions from hundreds of users. The 21-year-old left the majority of users speechless, while others believed he was “redefining” tennis.

Following the commanding victory over the teenager, Alcaraz has now clinched a 10th straight win. It includes his impressive run at the Beijing Open, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner on his way to lifting the trophy.

In his third round at the Shanghai Masters, he will be facing another Chinese opponent, Wu Yibing. With the form that he’s been in over the past week, it seems as though the El Palmar native is aiming to finish the Asian swing with an ATP Masters 1000 title win.