Two-time Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz had a demanding debut at the Centre Court against Fabio Fognini, which he ultimately won in five sets. Amid the long match, the hard conditions, it was the hottest opening day of the tournament ever, caused a fan to faint on the stands and the Spaniard was quick to help. Now, he has responded to a thank you message with even more class.
At the beginning of the fifth set, play was suddenly halted following an incident in the crowd, where medical staff were summoned to help a spectator experiencing dehydration. Showing concern, Alcaraz glanced toward the stands to check on the fan’s condition and ensured that a Wimbledon official provided them with a bottle of water.
After the match, the daughter of the woman who became sick during the match took to X, and thanked Alcaraz for his kind gesture towards her mother. “Thank you @carlosalcarazfor the concern shown to my mum today who was taken ill during your tennis match at Centre Court @Wimbledon today. Unlikely you’ll see this message but I can try! Thank you,” she wrote.
And, in a final twist, Alcaraz actually saw the message and sent a heartwarming response: “You’re very welcome, it was nothing! I hope your mum is doing well. Send her a kiss from me and take good care of her!”
Carlos Alcaraz helping a fan during Wimbledon first round (Getty Images)
With the win, Alcaraz also joined Roger Federer and Bjorn Borg in an unwanted stat, as the only defending champions to play five sets in their opening match at Wimbledon. However, considering that many top seeds said goodbye in the first round, it is a rather welcomed stat.
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Top seeds leave Wimbledon in the first round
It was a chaotic start on the men’s side, with unexpected results all over the draw. The Wimbledon first-round surprises included, on the men’s side: No. 3 Alexander Zverev, No. 7 Lorenzo Musetti, No. 8 Holger Rune, and No. 9 Daniil Medvedev all suffering first-round defeats—part of a record-tying 13 seeded men’s players who left early.
Meanwhile, on the women’s side, No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 5 Zheng Qinwen, and No. 9 Paula Badosa all bowed out in the opening round, marking the first time two of the top three women ever lost so early at a Grand Slam.
