Carlos Alcaraz came to the US Open hoping to enjoy playing tennis again. Before the tournament, Alcaraz’s form had faltered as the pressure to keep winning seemed to overwhelm the extremely talented 19-year-old. Alcaraz bounced back in style, defeating Casper Ruud in the final to become the first No. 1 for the teenage men. After the victory, Carlos said:
“This is something I dreamed of since I was a child. Be number 1, be a champion. It’s something I worked very hard for. It’s hard to talk right now, a lot of emotions. This is something I tried to achieve, all the hard work I did with my team, my family.”
Carlos’s father, one of the best tennis players in his heyday, introduced Alcaraz to the sport.
Carlos Alcaraz was born on May 5, 2003 to Carlos Alcaraz González and Virginia Garfia in El Parma, Murcia, Spain.
Carlos Sr. was one of the best tennis players of his time. He broke Spain’s top 40 and played some of his best tennis in the early 1990s. González introduced Carlos Jr. to tennis when he was four years old.
Alcaraz revealed before the 2022 Madrid Open that he attended the tournament for the first time when he was five or six years old: “I came here when he was five or six years old, so playing here again is special. I’m going to do my best so that the Spanish public is proud of me”.
Carlos fed off the energy of the crowd to win the Madrid Open, recording back-to-back wins against Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic along the way.
González was the director of the Real Sociedad Club de Campo de Murcia, the tennis academy where Alcaraz began playing tennis. Carlos Sr. is far less involved in Alcaraz’s coaching these days, as he’s taken on more of a support role since Carlos broke into the majors.
Carlos’s parents and brothers are usually in his box cheering him on during matches. After winning the US Open crown, Carlos regretted that his grandfather and his mother couldn’t come to New York to see him lift the trophy, but added that he was thinking of them the whole time. Alcaraz said:
“I was thinking about my mom, she’s not here, and about my grandfather. A lot of my family is here, but there are a lot of people from my family, they couldn’t come here to see the final, to see some games and I was thinking about all of them.”
Alcaraz considers his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, his second father
Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Alcaraz | Photo by Atptour
The highlight of Juan Carlos Ferrero’s career was winning the 2003 French Open, which earned him the world number 1 ranking.
When he became Alcaraz’s trainer, the teenager was a disorganized character. Alcaraz explained:
“It was difficult at first. I was very difficult. Juan Carlos had a hard time, because I was very disorganized. And I still am, just a little less! He did not control my emotions well and his head was not in order ”.
Ferrero helped bring order to Carlos’ life and improved the teenager’s temperament, making him a better player. When Carlos’ form faltered under the increasing weight of expectations, Ferrero helped him choose a style of play that evoked feelings of freedom and happiness, a style that won him the US Open.
Alcaraz rightly said that he considers Juan Ferrero his second father. After winning the tournament at Flushing Meadows, Carlos ran to his box to hug his team, reserving the biggest hug for Ferrero. Alcaraz said:
“Thanks to him today I am lifting this trophy. If I [didn’t have] Juan Carlos Ferrero in the box, Juan Carlos [as] my coach, it wouldn’t be possible for me… Juan Carlos is my second father. He could train a lot of the best players, but he decides to be with me ”.
An often forgotten but important player in the development of Carlos Alcaraz is the community in Carlos’ hometown of El Palmar. The approximately 24,000 inhabitants of El Palmar consider Carlos a hero: in June 2022 a mural in honor of Alcaraz was inaugurated on one of the city streets.
Víctor Manuel Moreno, a local baker, spoke with Reuters in a cake that bears the name of Carlos. He explained:
“This is a sweet that we made in honor of Carlos Alcaraz and his grandfather because his grandfather told him that in life you have to have three things: head, heart and balls. That is why we have baked cojones from El Palmar, Carlos Alcaraz”.
Carlos revealed that his parents still control his finances
Carlos Alcaraz has made millions from his tennis exploits, taking home $2.6 million after winning the US Open.
Alcaraz previously revealed that her parents control her spending. He explained:
“To buy golf clubs, which I love, I don’t ask for permission, but I do ask for a good car. I’m still fighting it. My father is tougher and my mother less”.
Carlos also said that his parents try to manage how much he enjoys his victories. He continued, “I don’t have to come back exactly at a certain time, but they always say ‘Don’t be late.’ As much as I try not to make noise when I get home, I always wake them up and they get me.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn