Carlos Alcaraz continues to establish himself in the elite after a start to the 2023 season that was delayed for the Murcian tennis player due to an injury that prevented him from competing in the Australian Open. An injury that Alcaraz himself wanted to reflect on in an open letter published in Eurosport’s Players’ Voice space, in which the Murcian tennis player also shows his most personal side.
“The injury gave me time to pursue my other passions. I’ve always liked sneakers, but I started to get interested to the point of collecting a year or so ago.” reveals the Spanish prodigy, who works with Nike. Even recently, taking advantage of his tour of the United States, he visited his headquarters in Oregon. “I was impressed,” he admits. “They have such an amazing sneaker tradition and culture – they could be putting out a shoe a day for a long time just reissuing great classics!” she exclaims, making his fondness clear.
At the sports brand facilities, they gave him several exclusive shoes. Among them, a couple of custom models that he “loves.” One, for winning the US Open; others, with the three Cs, the motto of his grandfather (head, heart and balls). “I’ve been able to get hold of some very hard to find ones, like the Air Force 1 Off-White Brooklyn. These are a creation of Virgil Abloh, a designer who changed fashion and left an everlasting mark on the industry. I am glad to have been able to have in my hands one of the last designs that he created before he died”, he develops. “I also use social media a lot, probably more than I should. Many people use it as a way of working and it is a very important tool, also for me. I keep in touch with the fans, I give them information about where I am, how I’m doing and I interact with them”, he closes about his life off the slopes.
Reflections during injury
In the letter, already strictly sporting, Alcaraz recounts how he has taken advantage of the break due to injury to try to correct routines and avoid future injuries. “While I’ve been injured, I’ve realized a lot of things. When you miss a big tournament, you think about what you did wrong. An injury can happen to anyone, but when I discussed the situation with my team, we concluded that it’s important to do things well on and off the track, and I don’t always do it 100 percent. I’m talking about rest, nutritional supplements, eating right… There are a number of things you might not do well. Since the injury, I learned that I had to get back to the routine I had and do everything right to do my best. I think that because of the injury, I am doing it from now on and it is not a secret that, when you do things well, the results come.”
A recovery that has not only been physical, but also mental, thanks to the help of her psychologist. “The injury has been a learning process. I tried to calm down and that helped me mature off the track. Those were not easy days for me, they were quite hard. I tried to stay focused and train to come back stronger. During my recovery, and as I have done on other occasions, I have worked a lot with my psychologist. She has helped me a lot on and off the track. The off-road work is almost more important, since you spend most of your time outside.”
Alcaraz does not hesitate to give Nadal and Djokovic as examples when it comes to motivating himself to return to the competition in the best possible shape. “I have thought a lot about Nadal while recovering from my injury. It often happens that when the best players have been away a long time, they win their first tournament when he comes back, and he wanted to be one of those players. Those examples of success in his return have motivated me, like what Rafa did at the 2022 Australian Open, and when Djokovic has returned after his absence, he has won important tournaments. They are examples that inspire you and you think ‘I’m going to train again’ because I also want to come back as best as I can to try to win”.
An Alcaraz who also confesses that he is a happy boy off the track and that joy is what he tries to convey with his game during matches. “I try not to think that I am an icon of the sport or a role model for young people. I want to keep improving. In the end, I love playing tennis and obviously I want to win and be a competitive guy. I have my own identity playing tennis and I always try to be ‘happy’ playing tennis. I consider myself a happy person off the court and that’s why I try to play that way as well. I think that today tennis is very dynamic: climbs to the net, drop shots and big shots, and that attracts attention. I try to enjoy myself on the track and not make everything so monotonous. I try to create and hit weird and beautiful shots.”
The Spanish tennis player also believes that this joy on and off the court is one of the keys to continuing to enjoy tennis and in his personal life. “At the end of my career I want to be remembered as a good person, someone normal, natural and happy. Playing with instinct and joy are two pillars of my game. If I didn’t play with instinct and joy, my tennis wouldn’t be the same. I think life is better that way and that’s the most important thing. And being someone that kids look up to is a hopeful thing for me. I try to transmit good values on and off the track. I also have my references and being one of them for the new generation would be wonderful”.
The requirement after a great year
Alcaraz knows that a complicated mission for him now begins: to defend the points obtained last year to remain number one, although the Murcian prefers not to focus on it. “In Miami I have to start defending a lot of points. I think about it subconsciously because you want to be at the top of the rankings but together with my team we always say that the most important thing is the race to the Nitto ATP Finals. If you have a great year in the ‘Race’, you will end up at the top of the ranking. I don’t care much about defending points, I just think about enjoying every tournament I play and doing my best”
For this reason, Alcaraz is clear about his objectives for this 2023 season. “When I think of a goal for this year, I have to win a Grand Slam or at least try for another Grand Slam and more Masters 1,000 tournaments. Those are my big goals. Staying at number one is achieved if you win Grand Slams and Masters 1,000, it’s no secret. I will try to do my best in these types of tournaments”.
An Alcaraz who sets more ambitious goals such as defeating Djokovic and Nadal, although he does not want to be seen as a rival in the fight as the best in history, but rather as a tennis player who wants to write his own path in tennis. “I want to beat Nadal and Djokovic, but I’m not here to take any Grand Slam from them or prevent one of them from being the greatest of all time. I want to write my own story. I want to win Grand Slams. I’m ambitious with my goals, I’m not going to lie. My dream is to be one of the best in history and try to get closer to Djokovic and Nadal. I know it will be very complicated and maybe impossible, but in this world you have to think and dream big. In the end, it’s my dream today.”
