In a heart-warming show of sportsmanship, Carlos Alcaraz was seen greeting Coco Gauff and Madison Keys at the French Open. The casual exchange happened before a practice session for the tournament, when Alcaraz walked out onto the clay court with a big smile.
Carlos Alcaraz Will Make His Fifth Appearance at Roland Garros
This encounter occurred just days before the year’s second Major, which starts on May 25. Alcaraz, the current French Open champion, will return to Paris to defend his title in what will be his fifth Roland Garros campaign. The Spaniard recently completed his second Italian Open appearance in Rome with a strong run.
Having been seeded third in the tournament, he received a bye in the first round before overcoming Dušan Lajović, Laslo Djere, Karen Khachanov, Jack Draper, and Lorenzo Musetti. In the final, he beat top seed Jannik Sinner, 7-6(5), 6-1, to win his seventh Masters 1000 title and the 19th ATP title of his life.
At the same time, Gauff and Keys, both top clay-court players, are also looking to make deep runs in the women’s draw. The pre-tournament practice sessions provide a unique chance for players on both tours to share the same space.
The clip, posted by the official Roland Garros X account, showed Alcaraz’s arrival at the legendary stadium, where he was greeted by applause as he stepped onto the field. Along the way, he passed Gauff and Keys, who seemed to be finishing their practice session. With a friendly smile, Alcaraz nodded at the two Americans and shook hands before proceeding with his walkthrough.
Following the encounter, Alcaraz also made an effort to engage with coaches, officials, and spectators, waving to the audience and exchanging greetings.
Watch the video here:
✨ Carlos Alcaraz X Coco Gauff X Madison Keys ✨#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/RAgAUJRG7L
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 22, 2025
A Look Into Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, and Madison Keys’ Upcoming Matchups at Roland Garros
Carlos Alcaraz comes into the main draw as the second seed and will meet Kei Nishikori in the opening round on May 25, their first-ever meeting on the ATP Tour. The winner of this match will take on either Fabian Marozsan or Luca Nardi in the second round.
Coco Gauff also tops the female side with the second seed and will start her run against Olivia Gadecki in the first round on Sun., May 25. Madison Keys, seeded seventh, will meet a qualifier in the first round.