With plenty of time off, MS Dhoni visited New York to witness Carlos Alcaraz defeat Alexander Zverev in the US Open 2023 quarter-finals, at the Flushing Meadows. The Spaniard sealed a 6-3 6-2 6-4 win against the German tennis player and will next face Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals on Saturday.
The camera caught Dhoni in the stands during a break, when Alcaraz was drinking fluids and getting ready for resumption. The broadcasters also focused on Dhoni, who could be seen chatting with two friends and also sharing a laugh. Here is the video:
Also Read | 'Ye Rohit nahi hai, uska stunt double hai': Shoaib Akhtar lands scorching 'Shaheen Afridi' sucker-punch at India captain
Reacting to the video, fans hailed the moment. Here are the reactions:
{{/usCountry}}Reacting to the video, fans hailed the moment. Here are the reactions:
{{/usCountry}}Alcaraz, who is the defending US Open champion, will be aiming to beat Medvedev and if he does so, he could face Novak Djokovic in the final. The Serbian ace will take on Ben Shelton in the other semi-final. Speaking after his win, he said, "I try to make the people enjoy watching tennis, watching the matches. I've been trying to do different shots that probably the crowd are not used to seeing in the matches. ... That's what I'm trying — to put a show on."
He also commented on the possibility of facing Djokovic in the final. "Well, obviously it’s closer than (it was at) the beginning of the tournament. It would be great to play a final against Novak here in New York, but ... both of us have really tough semifinals, so let’s see," he stated.
Alcaraz has faced Medvedev three times in his professional career and leads 2-1 in terms of head-to-head. He won their most recent encounter at the 2023 Wimbledon, and that too in straight sets. The Spaniard is currently ranked as ATP world No. 1 in men's singles.
He has won twelve ATP Tour-level singles titles, including two major titles (2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon) and four Masters 1000 titles. After his 2022 US Open, he became the youngest man and first teenager in the Open Era to top the singles rankings, at 19 years, 4 months, and six days old.