By Rory Carroll
INDIAN WELLS, California, March 7 (Reuters) – World number one Carlos Alcaraz began his Indian Wells campaign on Saturday with a victory in front of friend and NBA star Jimmy Butler, who attended the match despite being on crutches following a season-ending ACL tear.
Both athletes are known for their off-court camaraderie and mutual support, with Butler in attendance when Alcaraz won his first Wimbledon title in 2023 and basketball fan Alcaraz having attended NBA games.
“He’s my guy. I knew that he was coming,” Alcaraz said after his 6-2 6-3 second-round win over Grigor Dimitrov.
“I am just really happy that, with everything he’s been through with the knee, that he can show up and watch my match and to have a little bit of time with him afterwards.”
Tennis enthusiast and six-time NBA All-Star Butler was a staple at the Miami Open during his time on the Miami Heat, and took part in a U.S. Open charity event with Alcaraz in 2023 and in Qatar last year.
Now a member of the Golden State Warriors, Butler said the “silver lining” of his January injury was that it gave him the opportunity to come to the tournament in the California desert during the NBA season.
Butler, 36, said he admired Alcaraz’s competitiveness.
“Me and Carlos have been rocking since 2021,” Butler said at the tournament.
“I love the ferocity he plays with. He’s not scared of any moment, he hustles for every ball, and he never gives up. If you’re giving a kid an example of what to be in any sport – it’s Carlos.”
Alcaraz is off to a blistering 13-0 start to the season and won his seventh Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January to complete the career Grand Slam at just 22-years-old.
Next up for the two-time Indian Wells champion is a third-round clash with Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Indian Wells; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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