After securing his second-round victory at the French Open on Wednesday, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz treated fans at Roland-Garros to a moment he had long dreamed of — leading a crowd chant from center court.
The 22-year-old Spaniard defeated Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Court Philippe-Chatrier, and had just wrapped up a post-match interview with Mats Wilander. As the crowd expected the usual sign-off, Alcaraz had one more surprise.
“Wait, one thing,” he said with a smile. “I’ve always wanted to do this. I hope everyone joins me.”
He then leaned into the microphone and began singing a familiar chant heard often at Roland-Garros — a catchy refrain set to the rhythm of a Spanish paso doble: “Po-po-po-po-po-po po-lolo,” which ends with the crowd responding in unison with a spirited “Olé!”
Alcaraz let the fans handle the final note, beaming as the chant echoed through the stadium. He then exchanged a high-five with Wilander and walked off the court to a standing ovation.
Speaking afterward, Alcaraz said he had considered singing last year but never found the right moment — until now. When he finally did, there was no hesitation, and he sang confidently.
The crowd-pleasing moment capped off another strong clay-court performance from Alcaraz, who has now won 29 of his last 31 matches on the surface. One of his rare losses came in last summer’s Olympic gold-medal match, where he fell to Novak Djokovic — at the same venue in Paris.
“I just love it here,” Alcaraz said. “I’ve had some really special moments on this court. I hope everyone left today with a smile.”
Up next, Alcaraz will face unseeded Damir Dzumhur in the third round.
