Alcaraz’s Sunday of high stakes: El Clasico first, forehand later

As football fans across the globe prepare for one of the biggest fixtures in world sport, El Clasico fever has reached the heart of the Italian capital. On Sunday, all eyes will be on Barcelona’s top-of-the-table La Liga showdown with arch-rivals Real Madrid, including those of Spaniard and diehard Madrid supporter, Carlos Alcaraz.

The 22-year-old star is scheduled for his third-round clash against Laslo Djere at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Sunday evening, but instead of easing into match day, Alcaraz showed up at the Foro Italico a whopping nine hours early. The reason? To undergo his pre-match preparations before locking in a front-row seat (or at least a comfy sofa in front of a TV screen) for the 4:15 p.m. kickoff of Barcelona vs. Real Madrid.

“It’s Real Madrid vs. Barca at 4:15… I have to watch it,” Alcaraz said with a grin, when No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings Alexander Zverev playfully questioned his premature arrival.

A man’s gotta have priorities @carlosalcaraz 😮‍💨⚪️#IBI25 | #ElClasico pic.twitter.com/yKptHw6Cdn

— Internazionali BNL d'Italia (@InteBNLdItalia) May 11, 2025

With kickoff just hours before he’s due on court — not before 8:30 p.m. local time — Alcaraz is hoping for a double win on Sunday: a Real Madrid victory to narrow the title race gap, followed by his own triumph in Rome against Laslo Djere as he chases his second ATP Masters 1000 title of the season. After conquering Monte-Carlo in April, the third seed is currently first in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.