At the US Open thus far, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has displayed outstanding form as he has easily won all of his games to get to the Round of 16 with a video of him taking pills goes viral
However, in a somewhat peculiar turn of events, Carlos has found himself at the centre of a dispute over medicines. Novak Djokovic, a former US Open winner, is also being linked to this controversy. Alcaraz defeated Dan Evans with scores of 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, and 6-3 to go to the next round. When fans spotted him taking ‘mysterious pills’ during the game, he suddenly found himself in the centre of a social media firestorm.
A ball child received a bottle containing medication from one of Alcaraz’s teammates, who then gave it to Carlos. Fans expressed disbelief at the entire exchange, saying that Novak doing this would generate headlines. After Alcaraz won the first set, this occurrence happened in the second set. He requested medication from his colleagues because he appeared to be sick.
Is Carlos Alcaraz on steroids and what are the pills he was taking during the US Open 2023 as video goes viral
I see some red pills. Is that ibuprofen or steroids??
— Deborah B (@DebBerbs) September 2, 2023
Even though this is not rare, it gave rise to numerous conspiracy ideas on social media. It was described as Alcaraz’s “secret stuff” by commentators, and a spectator questioned, “Is that ibuprofen or steroids? “. Carlos probably took the medication since he wasn’t feeling well. Carlos may be afflicted by the same illness that has struck other US Open competitors. In contrast to some of Novak’s controversy, the response to this occurrence has been muted.
Similar issues with Novak Djokovic occurred at Wimbledon.
At Wimbledon last year, Djokovic sparked a scandal when he was seen inhaling something from a bottle. When the Serb and Cameron Norrie fought for a place in the championship game, this incident took place. Novak has a reputation for holding peculiar opinions. When questioned about the drink’s ingredients, he referred to it as a “magic potion” and declined to provide further detail. “Magic potion, that is all I can say,” said the player.
At the Paris Masters the previous year, Novak Djokovic was observed sipping a concoction that his physical therapist had made. Similar to Alcaraz’s example, Djokovic’s physical therapist passed the bottle to a ball girl, who subsequently gave it to Djokovic.
I would very much like to know what was in this bottle. It certainly wasn’t liquid, and he gestured to his coach before inhaling it. Very odd. pic.twitter.com/bBG62BOMFh
— Damian Reilly (@DamianReilly) July 5, 2022
Despite the theories put forth by supporters, neither athlete has used any illegal substances. Both Carlos and Novak have advanced to the Round of 16, where they can face off again in the championship match. The current champion is Alcaraz, while Djokovic is going for his 24th Grand Slam victory.