The Miami Heat player, Jimmy Butler, acted as an honorary ballboy during a match between tennis star Frances Tiafoe and ATP world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz at a charity exhibition match before the U.S. Open. While the star NBA player definitely turned heads as he served as the ball boy, he stole the show as he won a point against the champion who defeated Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon recently.
Decked out in full ball boy gear, Butler got to work with other ball boys and girls during the match. But he didn’t just stay put assisting the players as at one point, Butler took a racket and played a point against the Spanish sensation. To everyone’s surprise and delight, he scored a point against Alcaraz.
Jimmy Butler just showed the world how to beat Carlos Alcaraz 👀 pic.twitter.com/k8WJYlY5Xh
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 23, 2023
While it certainly looked like the world no. 1 was taking it easy on the Heat forward, Butler went off the court with a triumph, thanks to his incredible forehand hit. Butler is a well-known tennis enthusiast who has gone to several matches, including the Wimbledon Championship last month. The NBA star is also friends with tennis stars such as Tiafoe and Coco Gauff.
Some of the biggest tennis players came together for the Stars of the Open event. The Louis Armstrong stadium was sold out with around 14000 fans spectating the epic tennis match. The event was organized to raise money for humanitarian assistance initiatives in Ukraine.
Many other notable players were present at the charitable event
Some of the biggest talents of the world gave US Open fans an incredible evening on Wednesday. Stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Frances Tiafoe, and Matteo Berrettini came together for a notable and humane cause. All the stars put on an incredible evening for the exhibition ‘Stars of the Open,’ and fans enjoyed it thoroughly.
If a better point of tennis has ever been played, we’ve never seen it 🤣 pic.twitter.com/udc6iGZkxx
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 23, 2023
Celebrities from other sports also were in attendance. Sebastian Yatra, a two-time recipient of a Latin Grammy, also participated in the event. Throughout the event, players wore microphones, which produced some quality and funny moments for the fans and the audience.
In the final match of the evening, Gael Monfils and his wife Elina Svitolina faced America’s Jennifer Brady and Christopher Eubanks in the mixed doubles. To take on John McEnroe and Jessica Pegula; Gabriela Sabatini, the 1990 US Open champion, paired up with Berrettini.
John McEnroe goes after Matteo Berrettini and shows he’s still got it! pic.twitter.com/WgbfoZY2iZ
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 24, 2023
As a result of so many notable athletes coming together, the event was able to raise a whopping amount of $320,000 for the Ukraine relief. The night was indeed a memorable fun for everyone who attended it.