Carlos Alcaraz has explained his viral Australian Open interview blunder by claiming he is just ‘shy’ around girls, amid speculation he is in a relationship with a fellow player.
After his win against Miomir Kecmanovic, the world No.2 Spanish player was unable to name any female tennis players when asked to in a post-match interview.
Former American tennis star Jim Courier asked Alcaraz who his favourite players to watch are, adding it could be “men’s, women’s, wheelchair tennis, it doesn’t matter.”
“I like to watch every match if I can,” the Spaniard replied before listing Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner among his favourites – all noticeably male.
“I’m going to put you on the spot, what about WTA?” Courier then asked.
The question prompted a nervous laugh from Alcaraz, who confirmed he does “watch WTA as well” when he is able to.
“When I turn the TV on, if it is WTA, ATP, whatever, I like to watch it obviously,” he added, still failing to name a female player on the spot.
Alcaraz addressed the on-court blunder in his official post-match interview, telling reporters he is just “shy with girls.”
“I was too shy to say it but my favourite player is [Emma] Raducanu. I watched her first round match, it’s so good to see her back,” the Spanish star said.
“I was afraid of the reaction from the public,” he added, explaining his non-answer.
“I am shy with girls.”
Fans took to the comments section to gush over the athlete’s response, with some even speculating a secret romance between him and English star Emma Raducanu.
“They would be such a great couple,” one fan commented on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Love is in the air,” another said.
“Awwww think he has a crush on her,” a third wrote.
However, Raducanu is already believed to be dating billionaire heir, Carlo Agostinelli, if their many Instagram posts and family outings are anything to go by.
Likewise, Alcaraz himself is rumoured to be in a relationship with Maria Gonzalez Gimenez, who is a law student at the University of Murcia.
Neither appear to have officially confirmed they’re in a relationship, with Alcaraz notoriously keeping his private life on the low.
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