Carlos Alcaraz backs hometown club Real Murcia during Roland Garros practice

PARIS, France — Carlos Alcaraz is always repping his hometown of Murcia—and at Roland Garros, he’s doing it both on and off the court.

The 22-year-old was caught on behind-the-scenes cameras grinning as he received a Real Murcia CF jersey before a Wednesday practice session. Alcaraz proudly put it on over his long-sleeve training top, patting the team’s crest and pointing to it with a smile.

READ MORE: Style Guide: Carlos Alcaraz flies his barber to Roland Garros for mid-tournament haircut

His hometown club, Real Murcia, competes in Spain’s third division—the Primera Federación—and is currently in the hunt for promotion to LaLiga 2. They’ll face Gimnàstic Tarragona on Saturday in a must-win semifinal—just one day after Alcaraz takes on No. 8 seed Lorenzo Musetti for a spot in the Roland Garros final.

“TOGETHER with Carlos Alcaraz, we’re going for the semifinals of our playoffs and of Roland Garros,” the club shared on social media, alongside photos of the No. 2 seed wearing their signature red home colors.

Despite a globe-trotting tennis career, Alcaraz remains closely tied to his roots. He still lives with his parents in El Palmar, Murcia, and even flew his personal barber from home to Paris last week for a mid-tournament haircut.

On court, Alcaraz’s practice sessions have also drawn attention. Before his first match in Paris, he was seen doing return drills with his older brother, Álvaro—with a twist.

Alcaraz closed his eyes until he heard the sound of his brother’s racquet hitting the ball, then opened them and took a swing.

“It’s about the reaction, you know,” Alcaraz explained earlier in the week. “We set up the practices with what I have to do (a few) days before the tournament began…

“My fitness coach did that exercise for me just to be ready and get good reactions for the return. And for whatever the match demanding (from me, just to have good reactions.”