Carlos Alcaraz: From promise to number one in a meteoric rise to the top of tennis
New stars and planets emerge from the cosmic matte left behind by dying massive stars in the wake of a supernova. As the passage of time begins to bring the end of the era dominated by arguably the three best players in history, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, a new star has burst onto the tennis scene: Carlos Alcaraz (or, as he prefers to be called, Carlitos or Charly).
The player born on May 5th 2003 in the Murcian town of El Palmar is having a dream 2022 that has left everyone both baffled and excited by his game. At the beginning of 2020 he was ranked number 490 in the world; in February 2021 he had climbed to 146th and at the beginning of 2022 he was still the 32nd best in the ATP. Charly culminated this rise in September by winning his first Grand Slam, the US Open, where he became the youngest player in history to be world No. 1 (he is also the youngest in the top 100 ranking).
"I haven't had the time to fully understand what I achieved in New York. The truth is that I'm still the same, I don't think anything has changed in me because I'm No. 1. The tennis world doesn't stop, every week a new adventure starts and you can't be thinking and remembering what you've done. It was spectacular to win the US Open, but what you have to do is stay focused on training and focus on achieving your goals," said Alcaraz, who does not think he feels extra pressure for being alone at the top: "I heard Medvedev say he felt the pressure of being number 1. I have not felt it because I have had the warmth of all the people behind me."
One of his strengths despite his age is his winning mentality: "I never thought I would get to world No. 1 so quickly, but now that I'm here I want to keep it as long as possible," said the Spaniard, whose 22nd century game has already been praised by coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
Among the multitude of records he is breaking are being the youngest Grand Slam winner since Nadal in 2005 and US Open winner since Pete Sampras in 1990; the youngest to win an ATP 500 tournament when he won in Rio de Janeiro in February and the third youngest to triumph in a Masters 1000 with his title in April; or the honour of being the youngest to beat both Nadal and Djokovic and the first to do so in a tournament played on clay, which he achieved last May at the Madrid Masters 1000, which he also won.
Alcaraz-Ferrero, a duo for success
His coach since 2018, Juan Carlos Ferrero (42), knows all too well how Alcaraz feels because he also topped the ATP in 2003 (the year his pupil was born): "When you reach success very early on, there is always a risk of losing that motivation to keep fighting and relax a little because you see yourself at the top. Relaxing can lead you to not train at 100%. I worry that many people come up to him and tell him how good he is, that they don't tell it like it is. These are concerns that I know, it happens when you are a well-known person and you have been successful, these are difficult issues to handle. We are very much on top of him, we try to keep everything under control and keep an eye on him".
The player from Onteniente knows he has a diamond in the rough, in April he said that he was still at "60% of his maximum level" and he is not surprised by his success since they started working together at the Equelite JC Ferrero Sport Academy in Villena (Alicante): "I knew he was going to be very good: he has a great ability to adapt to situations that are more complicated and solve them with character."
The relationship and chemistry between master and apprentice is another reason for Carlitos' success, as the latter said after his triumph in New York: "Thanks to him I can win the US Open. If I didn't have him in my box, it would be impossible. Juan Carlos is my second father. He could have coached other great players, but he chose me."
Worldwide recognition
The Spanish tennis player's impact already goes beyond borders. The prestigious TIME magazine included him in its list of the 100 biggest rising stars, which includes social leaders as well as artists and influential personalities, and among his peers the number of accolades is endless, as you can see below:
Nadal: "Carlos' arrival is fantastic for our sport. From the media's side, you live for the moment. I think there was a need for a new face, especially if he's incredibly good".
Djokovic: "It's quite amazing what he has achieved, we can't talk about him as the future because he is already the present, a real world number one. I think it's great news for our sport and I consider him a real star in the making".
Federer: "He's a fantastic tennis player and the clear demonstration of what I've always said about the emergence of new superstars. He is one of them, his game is brilliant.
Paula Badosa: "The level he showed in New York was incredible; the way he got to the balls, how he connected his shots, how he flowed around the court. I think he could be number one in the world for many year. What surprises me the most about him is his humility".
Dominic Thiem: "It's totally new, the way he competes. To see him in New York overcoming difficult situations, attacking again and again and fighting for every point without fear is tremendous. I think he is about to change tennis and the rest of us have to adapt. He plays very fast and has elevated the sport to a new level. Compared to them, the big three were almost defensive or cautious. This change certainly affects other players, who have to see themselves able to change their pattern of play a little bit every time they play against them."
In the hands and racquet of Carlos Alcaraz lies the choice of becoming a star in the firmament or remaining a beautiful shooting star, although his mentality and humility suggest that the first option will be the most likely in the long career that still lies ahead of him.