In New York, we expected aces, passing shots, and perhaps a little drama on center court. But we certainly didn't expect Carlos Alcaraz, tennis racket in hand, to execute a shot that looked like it came straight from a padel court.

Facing the American giant Reilly Opelka, the Spaniard fired a “bandeja” worthy of blue carpets that he loves. No glass at the back to cushion the rebound, but enough malice to leave his opponent speechless. In the stands, some wondered if the organizers had sneakily installed a padel court.

The move has caused a stir even in the microcosm of professional padel. Lucas Bergamini, himself a fan of the sport, couldn't resist commenting: "What a bandeja!"It is even rumored that Bela almost booked a ticket to Flushing Meadows, just to recruit Alcaraz for an exhibition.

Because yes, the young 22-year-old Spaniard, with a zero ball, has never hidden his love for padel. When he is not chasing the titles of the Grand Chelem, he sometimes treats himself to a game of padel with friends on the slopes of Murcia.

But rest assured, tennis fans: Alcaraz didn't swap his racket for a pala. He even finished his match in style, winning in three sets (6/4 7/5 6/4) against Opelka, confirming his status as the number 2 seed.

Ultimately, this point will remain a humorous aside. And who knows? If tennis were to bore him one day, padel might already have its next star.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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