“It was a great experience being there,” Carlos Alcaraz opened up about his visit to the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Spaniard, who has now qualified for the second round of the China Open, is making the most of his time in Beijing, and he is not alone! Along with him was the American player, Coco Gauff, and the duo shared some fun moments together, dressed in Chinese traditional clothing. The 21-year-old later opened up on their vacation time after his first-round match and shared his thoughts!
It’s hardly been a week since we saw Carlos Alcaraz claiming his victory against Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz in the Laver Cup singles matches, ultimately leading Team Europe to claim the title! Now, the Spaniard has stepped into the China Open, with a similar hope and has already cruised past Giovanni Perricard in the first round. However, in between the two events, Alcaraz engaged in some fun moments in Beijing and visited the historical Palace Museum located in the Forbidden City along with Gauff.
Mentioning their trip while talking to the press, Alcaraz said, “It was a really good thing. Last year was my first year here in Beijing. This year I was really happy to go to the Forbidden City. It was a really cool thing to visit and see. I had the chance to go with Coco and dress the way that I dressed.”
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Moreover, the duo treated fans with an adorable video from the place where both wore traditional Chinese outfits and the four-time Grand Slam champion said with a smile, “Alright here we are, Coco and I are finally in China.” Soon, Gauff, equally enthusiastic about the visit, chimed in to add, “We’re here in the Forbidden City, learning about the culture, and I am here with Carlos and we have our traditional clothing on. And we are super excited to be here.”
Carlos Alcaraz after beating Mpetshi Perricard in Beijing
“We just noticed you and Coco Gauff have been somewhere in Beijing. How did you like the city and culture?”
Carlos: “It was a really good thing. Last year was my first year here in Beijing. This year I was really happy… pic.twitter.com/s9f4nDgiLM
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 27, 2024
The video ends with both of them bursting into laughter! Furthermore, when Carlitos posted some pictures of them together in the Forbidden City on Instagram, Gauff reposted it with a humorous comment, “New Kit?,” hinting at their traditional Chinese dresses.
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Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff's bond—Is this the future of tennis camaraderie we need?
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Talking further about his visit in the press conference, Alcaraz added, “I couldn’t go around much last year. For me, it’s great to see the culture here in China, see different things. Being there [in the Forbidden City] was a great experience for me. I’m really happy to be back here again in Beijing.”
As he talked about his China Open campaign, Alcaraz, determined to improve from his last year’s performance in Beijing (where he reached the semifinals), seemed optimistic about having a “good result,”, especially after having a productive Laver Cup.
Coming back to his adventures though, Gauff revealed how he made Alcaraz laugh during their visit to the Forbidden City.
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Here’s how Carlos Alcaraz made Gauff laugh “so hard” in the Forbidden City
Much like Alcaraz, Gauff also shared her excitement about visiting the Forbidden City and said that she would once again visit the place next year. Moreover, she also had her mother, Candi Gauff by her side during the visit and Candi took the opportunity to click photos with Carlitos (in the Chinese traditional dress) too.
Talking about the experience of putting on their traditional outfits, Coco Gauff shared, “I was laughing so hard when Carlos put his on because he had that huge smile and he was just standing there as people dressed him. Mine had red and white, so I liked my outfit better. I wasn’t jealous.”
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However, after putting on the dress, Alcaraz seemed happy, posing with a victory sign with his fingers, and even with a tennis ball in his hands. But having had some fun time now, the Spaniard is focused on progressing in the China Open and is ready to face Tallon Griekspoor in the next round.
As both Gauff and Alcaraz continue with their China Open campaigns, hopefully, we will get to see some more fun off-court glimpses!
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Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff's bond—Is this the future of tennis camaraderie we need?