Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonseca are gearing up to play a match against each other for the first time later this month.
Alcaraz has signed up for multiple exhibition events this season, something for which he has been widely criticised.
This includes a match in Miami against Brazilian teenage superstar Fonseca, who has not been given the chance to play Alcaraz yet.
While many are looking forward to this encounter, a former top 30 player has slammed the stadium that is being used for this match.
Steve Johnson slams stadium used for Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonseca exhibition
The venue for the upcoming exhibition between Alcaraz and Fonseca is the LoanDepot Park, which is the home of the baseball team, the Miami Marlins.
Due to the shape of the baseball arena, the renderings of the tennis court make it look much smaller and more difficult for spectators to see from.
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This was discussed on the Nothing Major podcast, with Steve Johnson calling for someone to be fired for the decision to host the match here.
While former Wimbledon semifinalist Sam Querrey claimed Johnson was overreacting, both he and John Isner were in agreement that it was not a great idea.
Johnson: “Somebody should be fired for this.”
Isner: “It is a weird look.”
Querrey: “We are overreacting! The event hasn’t even happened yet. People might go to it and say they actually really like that.”
Johnson: “But you guys have probably played in two or three stadiums within a stadium. Even the renderings it looks bad. You use one side of the stadium and can’t even get people to one side of the court. It does not look great. That crowd is going to be full. It’s Alcaraz vs Fonseca in Miami.”
Querrey: “It’s on the baseball field. The court goes over home plate area and they have some stands around the court and some are using the baseball stadium. It’s not perfect for tennis.”
Johnson: “You want them [the fans] intimate and close, especially in an exhibition format. You don’t need to have the Grand Slam rules where you need to be 70 feet from the baseline where you have the seating. I want them to be close and up close and personal so I think it’s a miss on that one.
“That being said I wish I was watching that one live, because that is going to be amazing with those two guys. I just think that the court leaves a lot to be desired.”
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What Carlos Alcaraz said about Joao Fonseca after practicing with him at Wimbledon
Fonseca is seen as a potential future challenger to Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but he is yet to face either of the top two ranked players.
However, Alcaraz has previously had high praise for Fonseca and he continued this after practicing with the Brazilian at Wimbledon this year.
“I was excited. I was excited about hitting with him, since the last time that I hit with him it was in Master in 2023, if I’m not wrong,” Alcaraz said in his pre-tournament press conference at Wimbledon. “It was really kind of a long time ago. I was excited to hit with him when he brought to the ATP.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m going to say he’s quite new on grass. I’ve been talking with him. He’s not really an experienced player on grass. But his style, he loves to play aggressive, to hit big forehands, go to the net. So I’m pretty sure he’s going to get the level on grass really, really soon.
“Right now, yeah, a few things that he has to learn obviously because he’s so young, and he is just starting to play the new tournaments. But his level is pretty, pretty high so far.”
While the venue for the match may not be ideal, Alcaraz and Fonseca are still expected to produce some entertaining tennis.
The exhibition match in Miami between Alcaraz and Fonseca will take place on December 8, with Jessica Pegula also facing Amanda Anisimova on the same night.
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