WATCH: Carlos Alcaraz does the wave with fans during Cincy rain delay

MATCH POINT: Carlos Alcaraz defeats Jordan Thompson in the 2023 Cincinnati second round

Carlos Alcaraz has always said his smile is the key to victory, and on Tuesday night in Cincinnati, the grin never left his face—even during an extended rain delay at the Western & Southern Open.

The world No. 1 had the Ohio crowd in stitches with his antics, as he joined in with fans doing the Mexican wave in an effort to stay warm.

Alcaraz began his campaign at the Masters 1000 with a second-round clash against world No. 55 Jordan Thompson of Australia, but their match had barely just started when the rain began to fall. Thankfully, it was nothing like the torrential downpour that wreaked havoc on Monday’s order of play, so players and fans were left to wait out the weather on Center Court.

According to Tennis.com’s Steve Tignor, “Four times the showers seemed to stop; four times the ball kids began to towel off the lines; and four times the rain started up again, just as the players were getting ready to take the court.”

Alcaraz was all smiles during all of these stops and starts, and when he saw the restless fans kick off the wave, the Spaniard gamely joined in:

He was all business upon resumption, needing two hours and 43 minutes to see off Thompson in three sets, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. It was far from his best performance, but the world No. 1 was just happy to be through.

"I'm winning all the time because I am smiling," he told press earlier in the season. "And I always said that smiling, for me, is the key of everything.”

Up next, Alcaraz will take on No. 14 seed Tommy Paul for the second time in as many weeks; the American stunned Alcaraz in Toronto 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 and took a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head.