Carlos Alcaraz, the new wonder of tennis who does not like to be compared to Rafael Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz was born on May 5, 2003 in Murcia, Spain. He is the son of Virginia Garfia and former tennis player Carlos Alcaraz González, who was the one who infected him with that love for the racket. In addition, he has three brothers who are also fans of the sport.

The Spaniard started playing at the age of three and had several precocious records during adolescence. He has a winning character that stands out on each court and does not hesitate to declare: “I’m a very competitive boy, I don’t like to lose twice.”

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His coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, former number 1 in the world, describes him as a competitive animal that will not give up any ball: “When he smells blood he turns into a shark,” he says.

The love of tennis, a bond with his family

“Carlos started when he was three years old and he came with me to the Real Sociedad Club de Campo in El Palmar. I threw balls at him and he got in to play with the school children, ”says the father who participated for several years in the professional circuit, but he did not stand out.

His mother, for her part, shares her son’s passion, although she does not like to see him play: “I try to handle the situation in the most normal way possible and the truth is that I speak little with him about tennis. I have a really bad time when I see him play and I assume that it is something I have to get used to”, he points out in dialogue with the newspaper Murcia Plaza.

Carlos Alcaraz, the new wonder of the ATP circuit

Carlos Alcaraz made history this week when he broke into the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings for the first time. No active player, including Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, broke into the elite group at a younger age than Alcaraz, at 18 years, nine months and 16 days.

He did it after beating Diego Schwartzman (6-4, 6-2) in the definition of the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro and winning his second title at the ATP level.

The win made him the youngest tennis player to win an ATP 500 since Jannik Sinner (19) at Washington 2021. In addition, he will become the third youngest teenager to land in the Top 20 since 1990, behind Andrei Medvedev (1993) and Pete Sampras (1990).

Only eleven active players broke into the Top 20 as teenagers. The only other active player to do so at the same age was Nadal, who was 18 years, 10 months and one day old when he peaked at No. 17 on April 4, 2005.

Carlos Alcaraz, record of precocity and a rebellious past

At the age of fourteen, he achieved his first ATP point at the Future de Murcia.

In 2019, he became the first tennis player born in 2003 to win a match in a Challenger tournament.

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On February 17, 2020, at just 16 years old, he defeated Albert Ramos (No. 41 in the ATP ranking) in the first round of the ATP 500 tournament in Rio de Janeiro, achieving his first victory in the final draw of a tournament of the ATP. ATP Tours.

He won his first ATP Challenger title after defeating Italian Bonadio in the final, becoming the 15th youngest player to win a professional title and entering the top 250 in the ATP rankings.

Like most tennis players, Alcaraz he had to change his character on the court to focus on the new challenges.

In an interview with the site break point He remembers those moments and says that he has already overcome them.

“I have passed that phase, as a child I had a lot of courage, every time I lost I put up a good fight with my parents, even in the middle of games. My parents have put up with me a lot of nonsense, luckily the years have passed and I have been growing up, being aware that all that was wrong, I embarrassed both my parents and my coach. Mentally I have improved a lot on that subject, ”he reflects.

Carlos Alcaraz and the comparison with Rafael Nadal

It is no accident that the world press has begun to compare Carlos Alcaraz with Rafael Nadal. Both are Spanish, they shine on clay and have a similar mentality and game. In addition, both started on the circuit when they were very young, which leads inevitably to relate them.

On this subject, Alcaraz is very clear: he shows admiration for the Mallorcan, the top winner of Grand Slam tournaments, with 21, but he wants to go his own way.

“I want to be known as Carlos Alcaraz and not as the successor of Rafa Nadal. I do not feel the relief of anyone. I want my name to be known”, he pointed out in an interview with the magazine Men’s Health.

Carlos Alcaraz and his similarity to Roger Federer

Beyond the comparisons with Rafael Nadal, Alcaraz feels that his game is more similar to that of Roger Federer: “I like to play aggressive, with many winners. I would define myself as Federer”, he indicated a year ago in a report for ATP television.

Tennis-wise, he has a powerful forehand and hits the ball hard from any angle. Disciplined off the court, technique has always accompanied him and he usually makes good decisions in games. However, that is where his coach sees the most room for improvement.

A promising future

The world of tennis knows that Carlos Alcaraz came to the circuit to be one of the greats. Although he is still very young, rivals and specialists in this sport already recognize a winning gene in the Murcian.

“It is fair that comparisons be made,” said Toni Nadal, Rafael’s uncle and coach for almost 30 years, in Radius Brand. “From the first time I saw him play, I was already surprised. Carlos, at this age, is more accomplished than Rafa was at his age on a technical level”, he indicated.

Another who highlighted Alcaraz’s gifts was Yevgeni Kafelnikov, former number one and Olympic champion: “To be honest, I think you don’t have to improve anything. You just have to keep doing the same thing. The boy is very good at the sport, he is young, talented and has enormous potential.

For his part, Juan Carlos Ferrero, the young man’s coach, asks for time and patience, and not to overwhelm the boy with very heavy loads: “It is normal for people to want to have someone for the future after Nadal and the rest of the Spanish tennis players, but We cannot make the mistake of comparing what Carlos can be with what Rafa is. He has to make his way and not think that he may be the next Nadal, because comparing himself with the best in history is a very difficult burden to bear.,

Finally, Rafa Nadal also praised his compatriot’s skills: “He is a very young player, with a great present and an even better future. He has positive and appropriate values ​​for today’s society. He can be a good example ”, praised him as the greatest Grand Slam winner in history.