Carnival & Helicopter Rides; Alcaraz, Musetti & Thiem Explore Rio

With Rio de Janeiro hosting an ATP 500 this week, some of the sport’s biggest stars have transcended on the Brazilian city. Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti and Dominic Thiem are all competing and they wasted little time taking in the sounds and the sights of Rio.

Top seed Alcaraz enjoyed a helicopter tour, snapping photos of Christ the Redeemer, an iconic statue that is a symbol of Christianity around the world. The Spaniard, who will begin his title defence at the Rio Open presented by Claro against Brazilian Mateus Alves on Tuesday, then went to Sugar Loaf where he took the cable car.

“The moment in the helicopter was spectacular,” said Alcaraz, who triumphed in Buenos Aires last week. “It was the first time that I had flown in a helicopter. I was a little bit scared at the beginning, but it passed really fast. To live everything from the top is incredible.

“To see the Redeemer from the helicopter was marvellous. In the past, I said it would be great to see that from the sky and it exceeded my expectations.”

The 2017 champion Dominic Thiem attended the Rio Carnival alongside Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez. The trio danced to music and watched those in costume parade through the streets.

“Everybody around the world knows the Rio Carnival. It’s going to be a unique experience, and I’m looking forward to it,” Thiem said when arriving. “The stadium is full already, so let’s see how it is going to be.”

“It’s a unique experience,” Brazilian Matos said. “I used to watch it on TV, and to be able to live this is incredible. We will enjoy today and then we will focus on the tournament.”

Italian Lorenzo Musetti opted for a more relaxed day, spending time on the beach.