Carlos Alcaraz spares ball kid from heavy rain in classy gesture as match suspended at Rio Open

Carlos Alcaraz came up with a classy gesture as heavy rain disrupted his first-round match with Brazilian Mateus Alves at the Rio Open on Tuesday. As the rain poured and everyone dived for cover at Quadra Guga Kuerten, Alcaraz beckoned over a soaked ball kid and invited her to join him under his sheltered bench by the side of the court.

Ad The ball kid gratefully joined him under his covered bench in a heartwarming moment as the match was disrupted and eventually suspended due to the conditions. ATP Buenos AiresWatch as Alcaraz lifts trophy after beating Norrie in ATP Buenos Aires finalYESTERDAY AT 11:50 Alcaraz was leading 6-4 5-3 with a commanding lead in the match when the rain intervened, and he will be expected to comfortably complete the victory on Wednesday when play resumes.

The top-seeded Spaniard had been looking very convincing with a crucial break of serve already secured in the second set after sweeping through the opener to establish total command of the match. If Alcaraz can complete the victory over Alves, he will then look to beat either Italy's Fabio Fognini or Chilean qualifier Tomas Barrios Vera in the second round of the ATP 500 event.

The 19-year-old, who had to miss the Australian Open after sustaining a leg injury, made a triumphant return to the ATP Tour by beating Britain's Cameron Norrie 6-3 7-5 in the final of ATP Buenos Aires on Sunday. Alcaraz, who became the first Spaniard to claim the title in Argentina since Rafael Nadal achieved the feat in 2015, claimed his seventh ATP Tour title as he further established himself as the world No.

2, just behind Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic. 'Mission impossible' — Corretja believes Alcaraz needs a 'miracle' to surpass Big Three Norrie