Alcaraz Praises Zverev as World No. 1
Listen to the story
Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has praised his rival Alexander Zverev, saying he fully deserves his new position as world number one. Alcaraz made the comment before starting his own tournament in Vienna.
Alcaraz is competing in the Vienna Open 2026, a major tennis tournament held every year in Austria. His first match will be against Russian player Karen Khachanov. Some sources describe this match as a 'tricky' one, meaning it could be harder than expected for Alcaraz.
Zverev recently became the top-ranked player in men's tennis. Alcaraz, who has often been one of Zverev's biggest rivals on the court, said this new rank is 'more than deserved,' showing respect for his opponent's recent success.
Tennis fans around the world are following the details of the Vienna Open, including match times and where to watch the games. Alcaraz remains one of the most popular and successful players in the sport, and his matches always attract large audiences.
Vocabulary6 words
- deserve
- to be right for something because you worked hard
- tournament
- a sports event with several matches
- rival
- someone you compete against
- ranked
- placed in order compared to others
- opponent
- the person you play against
- audience
- the group of people watching an event
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Quiz
Answer key
1. It is more than deserved 2. The Vienna Open 2026 3. As a tricky match
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has praised his rival Alexander Zverev, saying he fully _____ his new position as world number one.
Alcaraz is competing in the Vienna Open _____, a major tennis tournament held every year in Austria. His first match will be against Russian player Karen _____.
Zverev recently became the top-_____ player in men's tennis. Alcaraz said this new rank is 'more than _____,' showing respect for his opponent's recent success.
Tennis fans around the world are following the details of the Vienna Open, including match _____ and where to _____ the games.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think Alcaraz praised his rival publicly?
- What qualities make a tennis player 'number one'?
- Do you follow tennis? Who is your favorite player?
- Why might rivalries be important in professional sports?
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