Carlos Alcaraz is a ‘huge fan’ of Michael Jordan, but wouldn’t call him the GOAT

NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz is busy on the tennis court these days, but that’s not stopping him from dabbling in basketball at the U.S. Open.

The world’s No. 1 player arrived at Players Media Day in New York wearing a Jumpman hat and a T-shirt with a photo of Michael Jordan shooting. Alcaraz is sponsored by Nike, but not its Jordan Brand subsidiary.

“Everybody knows Michael and what he did to the game,” Alcaraz told Insider. “He’s an incredible guy. I’m a huge fan of his and really love his clothes, as you can see.”

The 20-year-old Spaniard told the outlet that he had only recently “started paying attention to the NBA,” but that he was “watching a lot of videos” trying to catch up. He seems to understand the legend of his air, but he’s not ready to call him “The GOAT” — or the greatest of all time — just yet.

“I’m not going to talk about goats,” Alcaraz said with a laugh. “There’s no doubt he’s one of them.”

While he got to know basketball legends of the past through a screen, the two-time major champion also got to know some of today’s NBA stars in person. Alcaraz said he developed something of a friendship with Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, who “is a huge fan of tennis.”

The two first met earlier this year when the six-time NBA All-Star attended a game in Buenos Aires for Alcaraz. The reigning U.S. Open champion returned the favor in March, watching the Heat play during the Miami Open.

Just last week, they reunited at Flushing Meadows, where Butler joined a host of tennis stars for a charity exhibition ahead of the 2023 U.S. Open.

“He’s a great athlete, NBA star,” Alcaraz said. “So to me it’s almost crazy to have a good relationship with someone like Jimmy.”

While Alcaraz does have his clutch DNA, he will be looking to channel “Playoff Jimmy” in the final major of the season. He is seeking to become the first player to successfully defend his U.S. Open title since Roger Federer in 2008.