Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
New York Post
The moment Li Tu realized Carlos Alcaraz was a ‘specimen’ at US Open: ‘A beast’
By Andrew Battifarano,
4 hours ago
Li Tu’s first-round U.S. Open match pitted him against one of tennis’s premier players.
But it was only right before he took on Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday night that he realized just how much of a “beast” the world No. 3 men’s tennis player is.
Tu put up a fight in a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 loss — winning one set — at Arthur Ashe Stadium, but he told ESPN after the match about what seeing Alcaraz up close and personal was like before they faced off in Flushing.
"We go to the coin toss and he took his jacket off and I'm like 'Dude, this guy's a specimen…this guy's a beast.' I just couldn't stop looking at his shoulder definition."
“Look, I’m not going to lie, he came out and he’s in his jacket and I’m like, ‘OK,'” Tu recalled on the set between the venues at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center. “We go to the coin toss, and he took his jacket off, and I was like, ‘Dude, this guy is a specimen.’ From the coin toss, from the coin toss. I was like ‘This guy is a beast.’
“I couldn’t stop looking at his shoulder definition and the veins. And the forehand says it, he has some serious weaponry. Hats off to him.”
It wasn’t the only thing Tu got a kick of on Tuesday night, either.
Li Tu, of Australia, reacts during his four-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in New York. AP
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain (left) after beating Li Tu of Australia on Day 2 of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
In the second set, the one the Australian won, he tried an underhanded serve that barely hit the net, leading to some gasps from the crowd.
Tu, however, chuckled at himself for the attempt gone wrong.
The hilarious story of how Li Tu found out his first-round opponent was Carlos Alcaraz by an Instagram DM from a fan 🤣 pic.twitter.com/UIsBysB90W
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) August 27, 2024 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates after defeating Li Tu of Australia in their first-round match on Day 2 of the 2024 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 27, 2024. Getty Images
The way Tu even found out he was facing Alcaraz in the main draw as a U.S. Open qualifier was quite humorous.
Tu told Sky Sports that he found out he was taking on the former world No. 1 via an Instagram direct message from a fan.
“I just read it and I was like no way!” Tu said with a big smile.
This year’s U.S. Open was the second grand slam that Tu competed in after he made the 2021 Australian Open as a wild card.
For the latest in sports, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/sports/
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Most Popular
Comments / 0