If you ask Carlos Alcaraz from Murcia and his namesake Carlos (Charly) Alcaraz about their favorite style of play, you’ll get two very different answers. The Spaniard will probably talk about ripping returns with a whipping forehand, while the Argentine thrives as an attacking midfielder.

While the Argentine keeps finding the net for Everton F.C., the World No. 1 tennis star has his own way of taking on football icons, just on a different kind of court.

“I’ve had inflammation in my shoulder ever since, it was in November, right? I had met him 30 minutes ago, he was fine, everything was alright, give his shots a little speed, and I could handle it well, man, and all that, but then in return, the exchange was good, then he hit me hard again in a way,” Ronaldo said, in a recent interview with CazeTV.

He further explained his agony of dealing with pain in his shoulder, and added, “It lasted two days, then I arrived in São Paulo, my shoulder… I couldn’t greet anyone like that. I even posted it on Instagram, I think, putting ice on my shoulder.”

However, being a huge tennis enthusiast himself, he couldn’t help but admit just how much he enjoyed sharing the court with Carlos Alcaraz.

“But he is really cool, and he’s super charismatic, super friendly. Man, the guy is easy, very easy, very, very, very cool. That says a lot about the champion he is, right, man?” he added.

The two were also seen interacting courtside and Ronaldo even had a special gift for the World No. 1. After the session, he presented the 22-year-old with his signed Brazilian jersey, an item that any football fan would cherish to have.

And if you know Carlos Alcaraz, you already know how big a football fan he is. So much so that he’s often been spotted at Real Madrid games at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, even spending time with some of the club’s biggest names.

Nevertheless, when it comes to Ronaldo, he has been following the sport for years and has developed quite a liking for it. When asked to choose between the two sports in the past, he had an unexpected answer in store.

“I think I love tennis more now than football. It’s unbelievable, I cannot watch football matches. I think it’s too boring. But I can stay for 5 hours watching tennis, it’s crazy. I’m training three times a week.”

And after sharing that rally with Ronaldo, Carlos Alcaraz would also agree to Mouratoglou’s sentiment. In fact, that interaction has made the Spaniard’s trip to Florida a memorable one. After all, he defeated Joao Fonseca at the inaugural Miami Invitational.

However, things didn’t go as he would have wanted during his latest trip to the city where he participated in the Miami Open.

Despite being one of the favorites coming into the tournament, Alcaraz was knocked out in the Round of 32 by Sebastian Korda. Though the match ended up going down to the wire, it was the American who eventually prevailed by 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. This defeat saw Alcaraz conclude his hard-court season on quite a disappointing note.

The World No. 1 will now be shifting his focus to the clay swing that is right around the corner. He will be looking to commence the season on a positive note in Monaco.

Carlos Alcaraz aims to regain his form at Monte Carlo Masters

Alcaraz will be in action next at the Monte Carlo Open that is set to be played from April 5-12. He will be entering the tournament as the defending champion, meaning that an early exit here could severely affect his position on the ATP rankings.

His rival, Jannik Sinner isn’t far behind on the rankings and is in contention to dethrone the Spaniard as the World No. 1 in Monte Carlo. Alcaraz currently leads the ATP rankings with 13,590 points under his name, while Sinner sits second with 12,400 points. As the defending champion, the 22-year-old will have to drop 1,000 points at the start. This will cut down the gap between them to just 190 points.

In order to maintain his position at the top of the rankings, Alcaraz will have to get a better result than Sinner in Monaco. For context, if Sinner gets knocked out in the quarterfinals and Alcaraz bows out in the Round of 16, then the Italian will take over for the second time in his career.

With the stakes being as high as ever, who do you think will come out on top at the Monte Carlo Masters? Let us know your predictions in the comments!