Carlos Alcaraz

Some Lesser Known Facts About Carlos Alcaraz

• Carlos Alcaraz is a Spanish tennis player with numerous ATP titles. He has earned a reputation as one of the world’s finest tennis players. His remarkable skills, temperament, and physique have solidified his status as one of the most promising teenage players in the sport.

• At the age of four, he began his tennis journey at the Real Sociedad Club de Campo de Murcia, where his father served as the tennis academy director. Under the guidance of coach Carlos Santos, he honed his skills from the age of four to thirteen. Later, his training continued with coaches Kiko Navarro and Antonio González Palencia.

  

• At the age of ten, he received an opportunity to participate in a junior tennis tournament in Croatia. Unfortunately, his family faced financial constraints, making it difficult for them to cover the expenses for the trip; however, a generous gesture from one of his father’s friends, Alfonso López Rueda, who was also the CEO of Postres Reina, changed the course of his tennis journey.

  

• Rueda sponsored the trip and became Alcaraz’s first individual athlete sponsor under his company’s banner. With the support of Alfonso López Rueda and Postres Reina, Alcaraz continued to pursue his tennis dream. After a few years, he caught the attention of another sponsor, IMG, who stepped in to further support his tennis career.

• In 2018, Carlos Alcaraz made the move to the Equelite JC Ferrero Sports Academy in Villena to take his training to the next level under the guidance of coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

  

• Carlos Alcaraz showcased his remarkable talent from an early age, securing victories in various tournaments, including two in the ITF Junior Circuit. He became a professional tennis player in 2018.

  

• At just sixteen years old, he made his debut in the prestigious ATP Tour in February 2020, participating in the Rio Open. Though he showed immense promise, he was eliminated in the second round of the tournament.

• Carlos Alcaraz achieved a significant milestone in his career when he won the 2021 Open de Oeiras III Challenger tournament. This victory propelled him into the Top 100 rankings on 24 May 2021. Later that year, he made his debut in the French Open; Carlos was eliminated in the third round of the tournament.

  

• His breakthrough moment came when he secured his first ATP Tournament win at the 2021 Croatia Open Umag, defeating Richard Gasquet in a thrilling match.

• In 2021, he made his debut at the Wimbledon Championships in which he was eliminated in the second round. Later that year, he participated in the US Open and had an impressive run, reaching the quarterfinals of the event; however, he suffered a leg injury, which led to his elimination from the tournament.

• He entered the ATP Top 35  Rankings on 1 November 2021, a significant achievement for a player of 18 years of age. He continued to showcase his skills and determination on the court, leading to his first ATP 500 title win at the 2022 Rio Open, where he defeated Diego Schwartzman in the final. On 21 February 2022, Alcaraz achieved another milestone in his career as he entered the Top 20 rankings.

  

• He won his first Masters 1000 title at the 2022 Miami Open, defeating Casper Ruud in the final. On 25 April 2022, Alcaraz reached yet another career-high as he entered the Top 10 rankings.

  

• Carlos Alcaraz’s meteoric rise in the tennis world reached new heights at the 2022 Madrid Open by defeating two of the sport’s greatest players, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, on consecutive days. On 25 July 2022, he continued his ascent in the rankings, entering the Top 5.

• At the 2022 US Open, he triumphed over Casper Ruud in the final, securing his first-ever Grand Slam title. On 12 September 2022, he reached the coveted position of World No. 1 in the ATP rankings.

  

• At the 2023 Indian Wells Masters Tournament, he reached a remarkable milestone by securing his 100th career win which came in a match against Tallon Griekspoor. At the 2023 Queen’s Club Championships, Carlos claimed his first title on the clay surface, defeating Alex de Minaur in the final match.

  

• On 16 July 2023, Carlos Alcaraz achieved another extraordinary milestone in his tennis career by clinching the 2023 Wimbledon title, marking his second Grand Slam title. In the final match, he faced Novak Djokovic and emerged victorious after an intense five-set battle with the scores of 1–6, 7(8)–6(7), 6–1, 3–6, 6–4.

• He is renowned for his aggressive and versatile style of play. His game is characterized by a powerful forehand and a well-rounded backhand. A few of his signature skills are the ability to deftly disguise his drop shots and an impressive net game with effective volleys.

• Carlos Alcaraz’s first serve is recognized for its consistency, often clocking speeds of up to 140 mph. Although some critics have raised concerns about its placement, he makes up for it with a reliable second serve. His second serve, executed with topspin, creates a high bounce and reaches speeds between 150 to 170 km/h (93 to 106 mph), adding pressure on opponents returning from a closer position.

• His athleticism, exceptional speed on the court, and physical abilities have earned admiration, particularly for his sprints and counter-attacking skills, which have led many to call him a young Rafael Nadal.  His agility and court coverage, especially on the backhand side, are often compared to Novak Djokovic’s.

  

• His victory over Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon left a strong impression on the seasoned player, who described Alcaraz as a unique blend of the tennis legends from the Big Three – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic himself.

• Djokovic praised Alcaraz’s skills in the post-match conference at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships and said,
  

  I think people have been talking in the past 12 months or so about his game consisting of certain elements from Roger, Rafa, and myself. I think he’s got basically best of all three worlds. He’s got this Spanish bull mentality of competitiveness and fighting spirit and incredible defence that we’ve seen with Rafa over the years. I think he’s got some nice sliding backhands that have got some similarities with my backhands. Yeah, two-handed backhands, defence, being able to adapt. I think that has been my personal strength for many years. He has it, too. I haven’t played a player like him ever, to be honest. Roger and Rafa obviously have their own strengths and weaknesses. Carlos is very complete player.” ^[3]Hindustan Times

• Throughout his career, Carlos Alcaraz has encountered several injuries that have challenged his progress. He suffered an ankle injury during the Italian Open in May 2022, a hamstring injury during the Australian Open in January 2023, and in March 2023, he endured another hamstring injury.

  

• Carlos Alcaraz’s rising status as a tennis star has garnered him sponsorship deals with well-known brands. Nike, a renowned sportswear company is one of his sponsors, providing him with clothing and shoes to sport on the court. His choice of racquets comes from Babolat, with the Babolat Pure Aero 98 being his preferred model. In January 2022, he became a brand ambassador for the brand Rolex.

  

• He has also expanded his portfolio to represent Isdin, a dermo-cosmetics company, and Spanish food company ElPozo. He has also partnered with BMW Spain, a renowned carmaker, to showcase their brand. He was chosen as an ambassador for Calvin Klein’s 1996 underwear campaign in January 2023. In June 2023, he secured an ambassadorship with luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton.

  

• His father said in an interview that Alcaraz should complete his studies. Reportedly, to balance his academics with his tennis career, Carlos has a dedicated private tutor who sends him homework every night. Despite his busy tournament schedule and travel, Alcaraz remains focused on his studies and diligently completes his assignments even while playing in tournaments or during flights.

• Carlos Alcaraz’s father and coach said in an interview that they keep a close eye on his WhatsApp and social media activities. Reportedly, his father actively monitors the technical aspects of his training, paying attention to the finer details to enhance his performance.

  

• His parents and friends said that Carlos Alcaraz has humility, easygoing nature, and a down-to-earth attitude. Despite his remarkable successes in tennis, he never boasts about his achievements and remains approachable and grounded.

• In his childhood, he used to get extremely upset whenever he faced defeat in a tennis match. He would throw his racquets in anger and at times, even be reluctant to leave the court.

  

• During the 2023 Wimbledon final, his performance captivated the attention of commentators, who likened the excitement of watching him play to the thrill of witnessing Virat Kohli’s playing cricket and the awe-inspiring dominance of Michael Jordan in basketball.
• In June 2022, a massive painting of Carlos Alcaraz, covering an impressive 400-meter square area, was unveiled at the entrance of his hometown, Murcia.

  

• During the 2025 US Open, Carlos was romantically linked to an American model named Brooks Nader. She was also linked to the Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner at the same time.

• Nader’s sister, however, reportedly later confirmed that Brooks was dating Alcaraz, who eventually defeated Sinner in the US Open.