Carlos Alcaraz is a Spanish tennis player who has won many ATP Titles and established himself as one of the best tennis players in the world. He is regarded as one of the best teenage players with talent, temperament, and physique.
Wiki/Biography
Carlos Alcaraz Garfia was born on Monday, 5 May 2003 (age 20 years; as of 2023) in the El Palmar district in the Murcia municipality of Spain. His zodiac sign is Taurus. He started playing tennis at the age of four at the Real Sociedad Club de Campo de Murcia (Royal Society Murciashire Club) where his father worked as the tennis academy director.
A childhood photo of Carlos Alcaraz
He completed his schooling at IES Marqués de los Vélez, El Palmar. He later pursued a bachelor’s degree at Instituto Marques de los Vélez in El Palmar. He trained under coach Carlos Santos from the age of four to thirteen. He later trained under the coaches Kiko Navarro and Antonio González Palencia. In 2018, he moved to Equelite JC Ferrero Sports Academy in Villena to train further under the coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Carlos Alcaraz with his coach Kiko Navarro (right)
Carlos Alcaraz with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero (right)
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 6′
Weight (approx.): 75 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Body Measurements (approx.): Chest 40″, Waist 32″, Biceps 13″
Family
He belongs to a middle-class family.
Parents & Siblings
His father, Carlos Alcaraz González, is a former tennis player who did not pursue a professional career due to financial constraints and later became a tennis administrator.
Carlos Alcaraz’s father, Carlos Alcaraz González (left)
His mother’s name is Virginia Garfia Escandón who was a shop assistant at IKEA. He has three brothers including an elder brother named Alvaro and two younger brothers named Sergio, and Jaime.
Carlos Alcaraz’s elder brother, Alvaro, his younger brothers, Jaime and Sergio, his mother, Virginia Garfia Escandón and Alcaraz himself (left to right)
Wife & Children
He is unmarried and has no children.
Other Relatives
His paternal grandfather’s name is Carlos, and his paternal grandmother’s name is Paquita. His maternal grandmother’s name is Victoria Escandón.
Relationships/Affairs
He is rumoured to be in a relationship with a tennis player from Murcia named Maria Gonzalez Gimenez.
Carlos Alcaraz’s alleged girlfriend, Maria Gonzalez Gimenez
Religion
He follows Christianity.
Signature/Autograph
Career
He demonstrated his talent at a young age and won many tournaments including two tournaments in the ITF Junior Circuit. He became a professional tennis player in 2018, and in February 2020, he made his debut in the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Tour at the age of sixteen by participating in the Rio Open in which he was eliminated in the second round. He made his debut in the Australian Open in 2021 and was eliminated in the second round. He won the 2021 Open de Oeiras III Challenger tournament and entered the Top 100 rankings on 24 May 2021. He debuted in the French Open in 2021 and was eliminated in the third round. His first ATP Tournament win was at the 2021 Croatia Open Umag by defeating Richard Gasquet.
Carlos Alcaraz in 2018 in an ATP Tournament
He made his debut at Wimbledon in 2021 and was eliminated in the second round. He made his debut in the US Open in 2021 and reached the quarterfinals of the tournament; however, he got injured in the leg and was eliminated. On 1 November 2021, he entered the Top 35 rankings. His first ATP 500 title win was the 2022 Rio Open where he defeated Diego Schwartzman in the final. On 21 February 2022, he entered the Top 20 rankings. His first Masters 1000 title win was the 2022 Miami Open where he defeated Casper Ruud in the final. On 25 April 2022, he entered the Top 10 rankings.
Carlos Alcaraz during a training session
In the 2022 Madrid Open, he defeated Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on back-to-back days and went on to win the tournament. On 25 July 2022, he entered the Top 5 rankings. He won the 2022 US Open by defeating Casper Ruud in the final, marking his first Grand Slam title, and became World’s number 1 ranked player on 12 September 2022. At the 2023 Indian Wells Masters Tournament, he secured his 100th win by defeating Tallon Griekspoor. His first title win on grass was the 2023 Queen’s Club Championships where he defeated Alex de Minaur in the final. On 16 July 2023, he won the 2023 Wimbledon by defeating Novak Djokovic in the final in five sets with 1–6, 7(8)–6(7), 6–1, 3–6, 6–4 scores, which was his second Grand Slam win.
Carlos Alcaraz playing in a tournament
Style of Play
Carlos Alcaraz is an all-court tennis player known for his aggressive baseline style of play. His powerful forehand and well-rounded backhand allow him to hit winners from various court positions. He excels at disguising his drop shots and has a strong net game with effective volleys. He is also comfortable serving and volleying in important moments. His first serve is known for its consistency, reaching speeds up to 140 mph. While some critics have questioned its placement, he compensates with a reliable second serve. With topspin, his second serve bounces high, making it difficult for opponents to return strongly. Typically reaching speeds of 150 to 170 km/h (93 to 106 mph), it puts pressure on opponents returning from a closer position.
His athleticism and physical attributes have drawn praise, with his explosive sprints, counterattacking skills, and exceptional speed earning comparisons to a young Rafael Nadal. His agility and court coverage, especially on his backhand side, have been likened to Novak Djokovic.
Carlos Alcaraz on the cover of a tennis magazine
He displays confident lateral movement, utilizes physical splits, and employs sliding techniques to effectively defend against aggressive groundstrokes and drop shots from opponents. After he defeated Novak Djokovic in Wimbledon, Djokovic described him as the mix of the Big Three comprising Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic. He 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.”
Carlos Alcaraz with Novak Djokovic (left)
Records
- Youngest player to play in Men’s Singles in Australian Open
- Youngest match winner in Madrid Open and winner of the tournament
- Youngest player to enter Top 100 ATP Rankings
- Youngest player to win the Miami Open
- First teenage player to win Argentina Open
Carlos Alcaraz with Argentina Open Trophy
- Youngest Spanish player to win an ATP Tour Title
- Youngest and first teenage World No. 1 and year-end No. 1 in Pepperstone ATP Rankings history (since 1973) (at the age of 19 years, 4 months and 6 days)
Carlos Alcaraz with World Number 1 Trophy
- Second-youngest men’s champion at US Open and at any Grand Slam Event (youngest being Pete Sampras)
- Youngest player to defeat both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic and the first to do so at the same clay-court event
- Ninth and youngest man to win both legs of the Sunshine Double
Injuries
He has faced many injuries in his career including an ankle injury in the 2022 Italian Open in May 2022, a hamstring injury in the 2023 Australian Open in January 2023, and another hamstring injury in March 2023.
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- ATP Newcomer of the Year (2020)
- ATP Player of the Year (2022)
- ATP Most Improved Player (2022)
- One of 5 athletes selected as part of the 2022 TIME100 Next
- Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year (2023)
Carlos Alcaraz with the 2023 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year
- Laurel of Sports Award by the Official College of Journalists and the Press Association of Murcia (2023)
Car Collection
He owns a BMW Serie 1.
Carlos Alcaraz with his BMW Serie 1 car
Brand Ambassador
Carlos Alcaraz has secured sponsorship deals with prominent brands. Nike sponsors him with clothing and shoes, while Babolat provides him with racquets, specifically the Babolat Pure Aero 98. In January 2022, he became a brand ambassador for Rolex. He also represents Isdin, a dermo-cosmetics company, as well as Spanish food company ElPozo and carmaker BMW Spain. He became an ambassador for Calvin Klein’s 1996 underwear campaign in January 2023 and later became a brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton in June 2023.
Carlos is crowned the champion of @Wimbledon. Congratulations @carlosalcaraz on winning your 2nd Grand Slam® title. #RolexFamily #Wimbledon #Perpetual pic.twitter.com/YLqXcOxpE0
— ROLEX (@ROLEX) July 16, 2023
Tattoos
He has inked a tattoo of the date 11.09.2022 (the day on which he won US Open) on his arm and a tattoo on his wrist.
Carlos Alcaraz’s 11.09.22 tattoo on his arm
Carlos Alcaraz getting a tattoo on his wrist
Net Worth
Alcaraz’s net worth for the financial year 2023-2024 was estimated to be $5 million.
Favourites
- Tournament: Roland Garros
- Tennis player: Rafael Nadal
Carlos Alcaraz with Rafael Nadal (right) during his childhood
- Sports (except tennis): Golf, Football (Soccer)
Carlos Alcaraz playing golf
- Football (Soccer) team: Real Madrid
- Music: Reggaeton, Spanish Pop
- Musician(s): India Martínez, Morat, Melendi, Dvicio, Bad Bunny
- Non-alcoholic beverage: Coffee
- Fashion icon(s): Roger Federer, Ben Affleck
Carlos Alcaraz with Roger Federer (left)
Facts/Trivia
- He takes his studies very seriously and has a private tutor who sends homework to him every night. Alcaraz does his homework while playing in the tournaments and on the plane.
- When he was ten years old, he got a chance to play in a junior tournament in Croatia; however, his family did not have the money to send him. One of his father’s friends and CEO of Postres Reina, Alfonso López Rueda, sponsored the trip and signed Alcaraz as his company’s first individual athlete. Rueda sponsored him for a few years before another sponsor, IMG, became his sponsor.
Carlos Alcaraz, his first sponsor, Alfonso López Rueda, and his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero (right to left)
- His father and coach keep a close watch on his WhatsApp and social media usage. His father always checks the technical details of his training.
- His parents and friends describe him as a humble, easygoing, and down-to-earth person who never brags about his successes.
- His fans fondly call him Carlitos.
- During his childhood, he got very angry whenever he lost any match. He used to throw away his racquets in anger and sometimes, refused to leave the court.
- When he was playing in the 2023 Wimbledon final, commentators compared watching him to watching Virat Kohli in cricket and Michael Jordan in Basketball.
- In June 2022, a giant painting of him spanning a 400-meter square area at the entrance of his hometown Murcia.
Carlos Alcaraz’s painting in his hometown
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education