Game on! Carlos Alcaraz wears Brazil shirt to Miami interview before Joao Fonseca clash

MIAMI, Fla. — Carlos Alcaraz usually makes statements with his tennis, but on Thursday at the Miami Open presented by Itau, it was his outfit that had people talking.

The world No. 1 wore a Brazilian national team soccer jersey during his Media Day interviews—the day before he’s set to face the country’s top player, Joao Fonseca, on the biggest court at Hard Rock Stadium.

The move sent Brazilian social media aflutter, with some users wondering if it was a bit of mind games or perhaps the Spaniard’s way of winning over the Brazilian crowd. Most, however, seemed delighted to see any kind of Alcaraz–Brazil crossover.

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It wouldn’t be the first time Alcaraz has arrived at a tennis venue wearing a football shirt. Last year, he cheered on his hometown team from the practice courts at Roland Garros in a Murcia shirt during his run to the title.

And, given that Fonseca had yet to take the court against Fabian Marozsan while Alcaraz was making his media rounds, the outfit was likely not a message to his next opponent either.

The lifelong soccer fan received a classic yellow and green Brazil jersey, signed by national team legend Ronaldo, last December when he faced Fonseca at an exhibition event at Miami's LoanDepot Park—adding the iconic shirt to his growing fashion collection.

On Thursday, Alcaraz was seen in the team’s newly unveiled dark blue and yellow away shirt, which Brazil will wear during the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer in Canada, Mexico and the United States—including Hard Rock Stadium—in June. The shirt is already one of the most talked-about ahead of the competition, as it is the first by Nike’s Jordan label to feature at a World Cup.

Eagle-eyed Alcaraz fans had already spotted the moody dark blue and black design in a post–Indian Wells photo dump—including a snap of Alcaraz getting a new tattoo on his leg by his favorite Los Angeles-based artist, Ganga—shared on Instagram last week shortly after the shirt was launched.

What does Fonseca think of it all? After his win over Marozsan, the 19-year-old from Rio de Janeiro was asked if he had seen Alcaraz’s kit—and said he gave it a stamp of approval.

“Just before my match, he entered the locker room with the Brazilian shirt. And I said, ‘Wait, good shirt,’” he grinned. “It's fun, he's a nice guy.”

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Their potential second-round match was circled by tennis fans as a must-watch when the draw was made: the first meeting between two young stars, one on the rise and one at the peak of his powers, both wildly popular around the world—especially in Miami.

“Last year we could see all the supporters that he has, it’s amazing,” Alcaraz told journalists. “I’m looking forward to playing him.”

Alcaraz and Fonseca will face off in the first match of the night session at Hard Rock Stadium—one of 52 matches taking place on Friday after weather impacted the schedule earlier in the week.