With the regular European football seasons now over, fans have been looking elsewhere to get their sporting fix – at least until the Club World Cup kicks off on June 14.
Those who tuned in to the final of the French Open certainly got their fix – and then some – as they witnessed one of the greatest tennis matches of all time.
In a five-set, five-and-a-half-hour epic, Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz came from two sets down – saving multiple championship points along the way – to defeat Jannik Sinner and claim his second consecutive Roland Garros title and the fifth Grand Slam of his young career.
As the dust settled, congratulations flooded in for the 22-year-old phenom, including from some of world football’s biggest names and clubs, many of whom were clearly watching.
Real Madrid, the club Alcaraz supports, led the tributes, posting: “All madridistas are happy and proud of this brilliant success achieved by one of our own.”
Former Real midfielder Toni Kroos reshared a 2022 photo of himself with Alcaraz – originally captioned “The future. And me.” – this time adding a short, smug follow-up: “Told you.”
Current Real No. 1 Thibaut Courtois posted a photo of Alcaraz to his Instagram Stories, writing: “Brutal.” Vinícius Jr. also shared a shot of the Spaniard lifting the trophy, with the one-word caption: “Locura”—meaning “Madness” in Spanish.
Elsewhere, Brazilian star Neymar Jr. – whom Alcaraz has previously cited as one of his all-time favourite players – also offered his congratulations, as did Tottenham and England striker Dominic Solanke.
Curiously, one high-profile absence from the congratulatory chorus was the Spanish national football team.
Despite being seen pre-match huddled around a phone watching Alcaraz’s final, the squad ended their night on a sour note – losing to Portugal on penalties in the UEFA Nations League final – and the team and its players made no public tribute to their compatriot.
While the lack of congratulations from his Spanish countrymen might have raised a few eyebrows, it’s unlikely to bother Alcaraz – given the near-universal adulation he received from the rest of the sporting world.
