Wimbledon didn’t go exactly as a lot of us were hoping, but it didn’t take away from the spectacle of it all. Carlos Alcaraz was phenomenal, despite losing the final. He fell short of a three-peat as Jannik Sinner won his maiden Wimbledon title. While Sinner catches up, the Spaniard got the support of fellow athletes after the defeat. Prominent among them was Pau Gasol, a fellow Spaniard who has always cheered on the tennis star. The former NBA star was there when Alcaraz beat Sinner last time. This time around, though, he had to offer commiserations instead of congratulations.

On Sunday, July 13, the reigning Australian Open champion beat Alcaraz at the All England Club in four sets on Centre Court. This was a massive win for the Italian, as he ended Alcaraz’s 24-match winning streak across all events. If Carlos had won the final, he’d have become just the fifth player in history to win the tournament three times in a row. But as always, Alcaraz was gracious in his defeat as well. “Congratulations @janniksin for your first Wimbledon 🏆! Very well deserved! 🤝🏻 Thank you everyone for your support! 💚 I feel at home and it’s really special to play here! 🫶🏻 See you all next year!” Carlitos wrote on Instagram.

Alcaraz also received congratulations from the tennis world and beyond. Pau Gasol had profound words after the 22-year-old showed grace in defeat. “Great tournament Carlos! Very proud of you. Vamos!! 💪” The NBA champ wrote on his Stories. Sure, he’d have loved to have witnessed his fellow Spaniard win, but Gasol expressing pride in Carlitos for still repping their home country is meaningful.

It was a frustrating night for Alcaraz, which became evident when a journalist caught him saying, “He is playing much better than me,” to his coaches. And Alcaraz was right, as Sinner completely crushed Carlitos after losing the first set.

Regardless of the outcome, Gasol has always been a huge admirer and supporter of Alcaraz.

Pau Gasol has supported Carlos Alcaraz at every step

Just a month ago, the picture was exactly the opposite. In the French Open Final, it was Alcaraz who came out on top after a gruelling five-set epic. It was his fifth Grand Slam, the same as tennis legend and Alcaraz’s fellow countryman, Rafael Nadal, had at the same age.

For a tennis superfan who called Nadal his inspiration, Pau Gasol, that was a thrill like no other. He was on Instagram with an emotional message to Alcaraz. Roughly translated, his message in Spanish read, “What an ode to tennis! Thank you, Carlitos, for what you’ve thrilled us with this afternoon. You’ve taught us again why we should never, ever give up. Enjoy your second Roland Garros, my friend.” Gasol was also there when Alcaraz won the Italian Open against… once again… Jannik Sinner. “Come on, Carlos! 💪🏼 Congratulations,” was his identical message.

Things don’t change for the Lakers icon after Alcaraz lost. That’s because he knows, like we all do…that Alcaraz will be back. And Gasol will be there, cheering him on…louder than ever.