Carlos Alcaraz raises the Caja Mágica against Basilashvili

The

wears its flag over and over again.

It's already midnight and the two boys who support her on top of the Caja Mágica grandstand are enjoying themselves non-stop, excited about the

game .

The palms of the fans redden and the buttocks are toned from going up and down so much, from doing the squat every time the Murcian does one of his against Nikoloz Basilashvili, every time he generates and strikes with that forehand, that backhand and that hammer that can shoot the ball at 223 kilometers per hour in service.

The Georgian presses at the beginning of the first round and more in the second, but he does it just to gain time: 6-3 and 7-5, in 1h 23m.

Alcaraz, who plays for the first time with the

vitola , returns to the central Madrid in style after the brief passage last year, when he beat Adrian Mannarino in the opening and then collided with the immensity of Rafael Nadal day he celebrated coming of age.

It happened in the afternoon, with natural light.

He now reappears under the spotlight, with the track covered and the duel begins at 10:50 p.m.;

a marathon day is extended that brings together 10,000 attendees and ends at 00.13 and luckily, when the ball hits the tape, it seals access to the next round –against Cameron Norrie or John Isner, cited this Wednesday– and is delivered in the heat of the stands, arms raised.

More information

Nadal and Djokovic, of 'preseason' between real fire

“The truth is that I feel grateful for all the people, I have felt the affection of the Caja Mágica audience and I feel lucky to be able to live these kinds of moments and that they love me so much”, he says ten minutes after closing the party, surrounded by microphones on one side of the track.

This time there will be no press conference because time is precious and he will go to bed very late: first the recovery, then some dinner and after the trip to the hotel, to finish, the difficult transition to sleep after an evening of high adrenaline .

“Very happy to have taken the match, he was a very difficult player who hits hard.

He had to keep up the pace and try not to let him dominate.

The beginning of each set has cost me, but in the end we have got it out, ”he values.

Alcaraz does it as the tennis player who has achieved the most victories (24) this season along with the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“I am a player who fights until the last ball, the spirit of fighting every ball makes me get these points.

That all the people got up has been incredible, spectacular, ”he describes when asked about the point of the night, culminating in a balloon after the races from one side to the other and the siege of the Georgian.

He says that he would have preferred to play at a more prudent schedule, but the organization squeezes the feeling of the present.

Even so, the enclosure touches the plenary session before a working day.

"There are so many people speechless at this hour... The fact that people stayed to watch my game and encourage me is something that I am very grateful for," appreciates the recent Godó winner.

“If a while ago they told me that this was going to be like this, I would not have believed it, that so many people at this hour on a Tuesday were watching my game… I would tell you that you are crazy.

Nadal and me in rooms?

Both Rafa and I still have to show a good level”, he says goodbye to the journalists.

You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on