The world of tennis has been shaken by unprecedented controversy. Carlos Alcaraz, one of the young promises of Spanish tennis, unexpectedly became the protagonist of a scandal that threatens to overshadow his career. It all started with some statements that many have described ashomophobic and retrograde, aimed at the LGBT couple formed byDaria Kasatkina and Natalia Zabiiako.
After the announcement of the engagement between the Russian tennis player Kasatkina and the former Olympic skater Zabiiako, Alcaraz reacted explosively in an informal interview. In a contemptuous tone, he described the union as “a media decadence that stains the purity of tennis.” His words went viral in a matter of hours, unleashing a storm of criticism on social networks and in the international press.
The reaction ofDaria KasatkinaIt was immediate and fierce. In a video of just fifteen seconds, posted on his Instagram account, he responded with a mixture of anger and disappointment. With a trembling voice, he accused the Spaniard ofhypocrisy and misogyny, remembering that she had fought against fear and discrimination to live her love openly. His message was so forceful that millions of users shared it in a few hours.
In the video, Kasatkina shouted: “Who are you to judge our love? You call what you don’t understand degenerate? I conquered the field with effort and tears, while you take advantage of the fame of a country that still fears change.” These words resonated strongly in the sports community and beyond, becoming aresistance symbolagainst intolerance.
Alcaraz’s communications team attempted to calm the situation, claiming that his words had been misinterpreted and taken out of context. However, screenshots from the original video and the full transcript showed otherwise. The networks were filled with hashtags like#ShameOfTennisy#LoveIsLove, demanding an immediate public apology from the young player.
Over the next few hours, several tennis figures, includingBillie Jean King, Ons Jabeur y Novak Djokovic, expressed their support for Kasatkina and Zabiiako. “Love does not destroy tennis, it humanizes it,” King wrote on X (formerly Twitter). The media pressure became unsustainable for Alcaraz, who finally published a statement in which he stated that he felt “deep regret for having offended the LGBT community.”
The statement, however, was met with skepticism. Many considered that it was a text prepared by his public relations team, more focused on saving his image than on showing genuine regret. “It is not enough to delete the video or write empty apologies,” said a columnist forThe Country. “Alcaraz needs to understand that modern tennis does not tolerate hate disguised as opinion.”
Meanwhile,Kasatkina y ZabiiakoThey have received a wave of solidarity from fans and human rights organizations. In a later interview, Kasatkina stated: “We are not looking for war, we are looking for respect. If my story helps just one person feel free, it will have been worth it.”
The scandal has opened a broader debate aboutdiversity in sport. Many wonder if tennis, traditionally associated with conservative values, is prepared to accept the plurality of its protagonists. The controversy also exposes the generational gap between young athletes like Alcaraz and those who defend a more inclusive vision of the sport.
Today, Alcaraz’s name is stained by controversy. Although he remains an undisputed talent, his public reputation has suffered a blow that is difficult to repair. Instead, Kasatkina emerges stronger, a brave voice challenging prejudice in professional tennis.
«The shame of tennis»It is no longer just a viral phrase: it is the mirror of a moral crisis that reveals the extent to which sport continues to struggle to reconcile itself with the values of respect, equality and true love.
