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Although the crowd was smaller than those which
turned out to watch Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal at similar
exhibitions in previous years, there was no less passion at the
Monumental Plaza de Toros.
"I will take a picture to never forget this," Alcaraz said after
the match. "It has been a very special event, the truth is that
I can only thank you for supporting tennis and me."
The world number two and 13th-ranked Paul were the main
attraction with Greek Maria Sakkari and former Australian Open
champion Caroline Wozniacki facing off as an appetiser.
"For me and my wife it is very important to have this type of
events," said fan Diego Segura.
"Hopefully this will continue to grow, because it is a unique
opportunity to see Alcaraz (playing) live in our city."
A growing market and the Mexican capital's hungry interest in
sports has led others to offer unique opportunities for fans in
the teeming metropolis of some nine million people.
Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball
Association (NBA) offer regular season games, with the latter
promising to expand or even have a franchise in Mexico City.
Meanwhile, the National Football League (NFL), which until last
year had a game scheduled in the city, had to suspend it due to
the remodelling of the Azteca Stadium for the 2026 World Cup,
but continues to offer experiences for Mexican fans as it seeks
to grow internationally.
Motorsports has also experienced strong growth, notably with the
return of Formula One to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in
2015, an event for which next year tickets are already sold out.
Formula E, too, has found a place in the Mexican market, with
the season kicking off in the capital.
Tomas Wolf, who was attending Wednesday's exhibition with his
10-year-old son and namesake, said having the opportunity to
watch world class tennis players in the flesh was vital to the
growth of the game in Mexico.
"(I want) Alcaraz to win, he's an inspiration for me," said the
younger Wolf, as if to prove his father's point.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City, editing by Nick
Mulvenney and Peter Rutherford)
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