Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz eased his way into the semi-finals of the US Open 2023 with a straight-sets win over 12th seed Alexander Zverev at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday. Alcaraz moved to within one win of a potential dream final with Novak Djokovic with an emphatic 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Zverev. Former India captain MS Dhoni was in attendance as Alcaraz swept aside Zverev in 2hr 30min. During one of the cooling breaks, Dhoni was spotted enjoying the match with some of his friends.
In the video, Dhoni can be seen laughing out loud while Alcaraz is sitting on his chair and taking some liquids. The video has now gone viral on social media.
Last year, Dhoni was spotted, alongside Kapil Dev, watching Alcaraz's quarterfinal match against Jaanik Sinner.
The victory leaves the 20-year-old Alcaraz firmly on course for another final showdown with 23-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic after their Wimbledon classic in July.
Djokovic faces unseeded American Ben Shelton in Friday's first semi-final, with Alcaraz will play Daniil Medvedev in the other.
"I'm feeling really comfortable playing on this court, playing in New York," said Alcaraz, who will face Russian third seed Medvedev in the semi-finals on Friday.
"I'm feeling strong. I think I'm ready for a great battle against Medvedev," added Alcaraz, who has dropped just one set en route to the last four.
New York has been sweltering in a heatwave this week, with high humidity and temperatures at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday hitting 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).
Dhoni, on the other hand, is enjoying his time away from the sport, having led Chennai Super Kings to their fifth Indian Premier League title earlier this year.
From working as a ticket collector at a railway station, Dhoni transformed into India's biggest trophy collector, leading the team to ICC T20 World Cup 2007, ICC ODI World Cup 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013 as skipper. MS Dhoni is undoubtedly one of the greatest captains cricket ever witnessed.
The wicketkeeper-batter has a massive fan following but what is not a good thing for the fans is the fact that Dhoni is not active on social media. He barely posts anything on the platform and that sees his fans rely on viral videos and pictures to get a glimpse of the player.
Dhoni retired from international cricket in August 2020. However, he continued to be a part of Indian Premier League as a player.
However, his participation in next year's IPL remains a mystery.
(With AFP Inputs)