“Get well soon, Denis” was the message Carlos Alcaraz wrote on the tournament camera after qualifying for the semifinals. The gesture followed Denis Shapovalov’s retirement, which came after the third game of the second set because of a physical problem.
Until he withdrew, Shapovalov had put up a strong fight against the defending champion. He had even earned a set point at 5-4. Alcaraz’s message acknowledged his opponent after a match brought to an early end by the retirement.
It was not the first time Alcaraz had shown a fellow player this kind of consideration. In the previous season, after Jannik Sinner was unable to continue in the Cincinnati Masters final, the Spaniard wrote on the camera: “I’m sorry, Jannik.” Another of Alcaraz’s camera messages was also dedicated to Sinner.
Carlos Alcaraz is described as the most popular and admired player in the professional tennis tour’s locker rooms, with gestures such as the one he made in Tokio contributing to that regard. This time, his message to Shapovalov followed the Canadian’s injury-enforced retirement.
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