Overview

• Don Luigi Portarulo says he met Carlos Alcaraz the day before the final and offered a blessing, a moment captured in a widely shared video showing holy water and the sign of the cross.
• Alcaraz went on to win the US Open over Jannik Sinner and reclaim the ATP No. 1 ranking, which subsequent reports confirmed.
• In the interview, Portarulo portrays Alcaraz as simple, polite, shy and religious, recounting a conversation focused on faith and the excitement of facing Sinner.
• Portarulo, 38, hails from Bernalda in Matera, has served in New York since November 2022 and has been assigned to St. Patrick’s Cathedral since July 1, 2024.
• One outlet reported that Alcaraz later sent Portarulo a handwritten note of thanks, a detail not yet independently corroborated.