WATCH: Carlos Alcaraz plays tennis with Jimmy Butler during Qatar Open

Carlos Alcaraz stayed on the court to play a few balls with NBA player Jimmy Butler after he defeated Martin Cilic in the first round of the Qatar Open on Monday. After struggling to establish his rhythm on a windy evening, Alcaraz defeated the seasoned Croatian 6-4, 6-4 before facing Butler.

The Golden State Warriors recently acquired the 35-year-old guard, but he chose not to remain in the Bay Area during Sunday's NBA All-Star Game. He took a plane to the Gulf instead, where he watched Alcaraz win. After that, Butler entered the courtroom. Both men performed for fans for a brief period while wearing microphones. Butler even tried, but failed, to return an Alcaraz lob with a between-the-legs shot.

Watch the video here:

Carlos Alcaraz and NBA's @JimmyButler play tennis in Doha 😆#QatarExxonMobilOpen@QatarTennispic.twitter.com/JB5DiQ7sBV

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 17, 2025

"I'm really pleased about saving that game." "Marin puts a lot of pressure when you're serving, he's a great returner. I'm really happy to stay calm at that moment, do my routine, and make good shots. I'm really happy to win in two sets," he said.

Carlos Alcaraz will face Luca Nardi or Zhang Zhizhen

The crucial moments were when Alcaraz was stronger than the 36-year-old Cilic. Alcaraz got the necessary service break in the final game of the first set, which lasted eighteen minutes. In the ninth game of the second set, Alcaraz was 0-40 behind on serve. He won the match in 1 hour and 38 minutes after answering by scoring 15 of the next 19 points.

The second round will see him take against either Luca Nardi or Zhang Zhizhen. Cilic was participating in his first tournament following undergoing knee surgery in November when seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria was defeated 6-4, 6-4 by Jiri Lehecka. The Czech's 11th victory of 2025 matched him with Alex de Minaur and Miomir Kecmanovic for the top spot on the ATP Tour.