After turning professional in 2019 at the age of 16, Alcaraz won three titles on the
ITF Men's World Tennis Tour and four on the
ATP Challenger Tour. He broke into the top 100 in rankings in May 2021, and ended that year in the top 35 after reaching his first major quarterfinal at the
US Open. In March 2022, Alcaraz won his first Masters 1000 title at the
Miami Open at the age of 18, and then won his second at the
Madrid Open where he defeated
Rafael Nadal,
Novak Djokovic, and
Alexander Zverev in succession. In late 2022, Alcaraz won his first major singles title at the US Open and finished the year as the youngest year-end No. 1 in ATP ranking history, later being named the
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year for his performance in the season. In 2023, Alcaraz claimed two additional Masters 1000 titles at
Indian Wells and
Madrid, and earned his second major title at Wimbledon defeating four-time defending champion Novak Djokovic, to become the first champion outside of the
Big Four since
Lleyton Hewitt in
2002.
Early life
Carlos Alcaraz Garfia was born on 5 May 2003, in
El Palmar, Murcia, Spain, to parents Carlos Alcaraz González and Virginia Garfia Escandón. He has three siblings.
Alcaraz started playing tennis at the age of four at the Real Sociedad Club de Campo de Murcia (Royal Murcia Country Club), where his father was the tennis academy director, and his grandfather one of the club's founders. Alcaraz's father was a formerly ranked player in Spain, but ultimately wasn't able to make a career out of playing tennis. In 2018, Alcaraz moved to
Villena to begin training at
Juan Carlos Ferrero's Equelite JC Ferrero Sport Academy.[8][9]
Professional career
2020: ATP debut
In February 2020, at the age of 16, Alcaraz made his ATP main-draw debut at the
Rio Open after receiving a wildcard for the singles main draw. There, he defeated
Albert Ramos Viñolas.[10] Alcaraz was defeated in the second round by
Federico Coria.
2021: First ATP title, Next-Gen Finals champion, Top 35
Alcaraz became the youngest match winner in the
Madrid Open's history, defeating
Adrian Mannarino as a wildcard and breaking then-18-year-old
Rafael Nadal's record from 2004. In the second round, he lost to five-time champion Nadal on Alcaraz's 18th birthday.[13][14][15]
By winning the biggest title of his career until then at the
2021 Open de Oeiras III Challenger tournament, he entered the top 100 as the youngest player at the age of 18 on 24 May 2021.[16][17]
At the
French Open, Alcaraz reached the third round of a major for the first time in his career by defeating
Nikoloz Basilashvili.
In July 2021, he reached his first ATP final at the
2021 Croatia Open Umag, defeating top seed
Albert Ramos Viñolas.[18] He then won his maiden ATP title by defeating
Richard Gasquet and becoming the youngest tour-level champion since 18-year-old
Kei Nishikori won the Delray Beach Open in 2008. Alcaraz was the youngest Spaniard to win an ATP Tour title since Nadal claimed his first trophy in
Sopot in 2004.[19]
At the
US Open, Alcaraz defeated world No. 3
Stefanos Tsitsipas in a fifth-set tiebreak to reach the fourth round in the biggest win of his career.[22] At 18 years of age, Alcaraz became the youngest man in a major fourth round since 17-year-old
Andrei Medvedev at the
1992 French Open, and the youngest man in the US Open fourth round since 17-year-old
Michael Chang and 18-year-old
Pete Sampras in
1989.[23][24] He then reached the quarterfinals by defeating qualifier
Peter Gojowczyk. Alcaraz became the youngest US Open men's quarterfinalist in the
Open Era, the youngest at the tournament since 18-year-old
Thomaz Koch in
1963, and the youngest Grand Slam tournament men's singles quarterfinalist since 18-year-old Michael Chang at the
1990 French Open. He then lost to
Félix Auger-Aliassime via retirement in the second set in the quarterfinals after injuring his leg.[25]
At the
Erste Bank Open, Alcaraz defeated world No. 7
Matteo Berrettini, his second win over a top-10 player,[26] and became the youngest player in the top 35 on 1 November. During his
Paris Masters run, Alcaraz defeated French wildcard
Pierre-Hugues Herbert in three thrilling sets in the first round.[27] He then defeated
Jannik Sinner in straight sets in the second round, his third win over a top-10 player.[28] In the third round, he was defeated by
Hugo Gaston in straight sets.[29]
Seeded for the first time in a major at No. 31, Alcaraz reached the third round of the
Australian Open before losing in five sets to
Matteo Berrettini.[34]
Seeded seventh at the
Rio Open, Alcaraz won his first ATP 500 title by defeating
Diego Schwartzman in the final.[35] He entered the top 20 in the singles rankings on 21 February 2022. In
Indian Wells, Alcaraz reached his first
Masters 1000 quarterfinal and semifinal, defeating defending champion
Cameron Norrie before losing to
Rafael Nadal.
Seeded 14th at the
Miami Open, Alcaraz defeated 6th seed
Casper Ruud to win his first Masters 1000 title, the youngest men's champion in the tournament's history and the third-youngest ATP Masters 1000 titlist in history.[36]
At the
Monte-Carlo Masters, Alcaraz lost in the second round to
Sebastian Korda.[37] At the
Barcelona Open, Alcaraz defeated top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals[38] to enter the top 10 in rankings for the first time on 25 April.[39][40] He became the 20th teen to break into top 10 overall since rankings were established in 1973, and the youngest since Rafael Nadal also on 25 April 2005.[41][42] Alcaraz later defeated
Pablo Carreño Busta to win the title.[43]
A day after his 19th birthday at the
Madrid Open, he defeated 5-time Madrid champion, world No. 4 and third seed
Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals to become the first teenager to defeat him on clay.[44] The following day, he beat the world No. 1 and top seed
Novak Djokovic in the semifinals for his 6th straight top-10 win, and became the youngest player to win a match against a world No. 1 since 2004. He also became the first player to ever beat Djokovic and Nadal back-to-back on clay.[36][45][46] In the final, he won his fourth title for the season (and second Masters 1000), by defeating defending champion and world No. 3
Alexander Zverev, thereby defeating the top three seeds in three consecutive matches. He also became the youngest champion in tournament history.[47] As a result, he climbed to a career-high of world No. 6 in the rankings on 9 May 2022.[48]
Following his withdrawal from the
Italian Open due to an ankle injury,[49] Alcaraz made his seeded debut at the
French Open as No. 6. Having won two of the tour's biggest titles on clay coming into the Slam, he was widely projected to be one of the favorites for the title.[50] He defeated
Juan Ignacio Londero in straight sets before saving a match point in a second round five-setter against
Albert Ramos Viñolas.[51][52] He then defeated Korda and
Karen Khachanov in straight sets before losing to Zverev, in the second major quarterfinal of his career.[53][54][55]
At the
Hamburg Open, he reached the final, resulting in a new career-high of world No. 5 on 25 July 2022. Alcaraz became the youngest player to enter the top 5 in rankings since Nadal in 2005.[56][57] He was defeated in the final by
Lorenzo Musetti, resulting in the first loss in a tournament final of his career.[58] At the
Croatia Open, he reached his second consecutive final, resulting in another ranking jump to world No. 4 on 1 August.[59][60]
Alcaraz entered the
2022 US Open as the No. 3 seed.[61] He defeated
Sebastian Baez,
Federico Coria and
Jenson Brooksby without dropping a set to reach the fourth round.[62] Next he defeated 15th seed
Marin Čilić in five sets, becoming the youngest man to reach back-to-back quarterfinals at this Major in the
Open Era.[63] In his quarterfinal match he defeated Jannik Sinner,
saving a match point in the fourth set. The match set the record as the latest finish (at 2:50AM EST) and second longest match (5 hours and 15 minutes) in US Open history.[64][65] He defeated
Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals for his third consecutive five-set match victory.[66] He defeated 5th seed
Casper Ruud in the final, where both players were in contention for the world No. 1 ranking, to win the title. Alcaraz became the youngest No. 1 in the history of the
ATP Rankings at the age of 19 years, 4 months and 6 days, breaking
Lleyton Hewitt's record.[5] He also became the first teenager in the Open Era to top the men's rankings and the youngest men's US Open champion since
Pete Sampras in
1990.[67]
In his first match as world No. 1, Alcaraz lost his singles match at the
2022 Davis Cup Finals to
Félix Auger-Aliassime.[68] Next, he lost to
David Goffin at the
Astana Open in his opening round. Alcaraz reached the semifinals in
Basel, where he was defeated by the eventual champion Auger-Aliassime for a second time in the season.[69] At the
Paris Masters, Alcaraz reached the quarterfinals after defeating
Yoshihito Nishioka and
Grigor Dimitrov, but retired while being a set down against
Holger Rune.[70] A day later, Alcaraz announced he had suffered an abdominal tear requiring a six-week layoff, forcing him to end his season early. Alcaraz withdrew from the
ATP Finals and the Davis Cup Finals.[71] Alcaraz, at the age of 19 years and 214 days, ended the year as youngest and first teenager world No. 1.[7]
On 7 January, Alcaraz announced his withdrawal from the
Australian Open due to a hamstring injury he suffered in his right leg while training.[72] Following the tournament, he lost the world No. 1 ranking to the champion
Novak Djokovic.[73] He held the ranking for a total of 20 weeks.
In his first tournament for the 2023 season at the
Golden Swing in South America, Alcaraz won his seventh title at the
Argentina Open, defeating second seed
Cameron Norrie.[74] Defending his title at the
Rio Open, he reached back to back finals where he played against Norrie again, but lost in three sets.[75] Alcaraz was additionally scheduled to play in
Acapulco in the month of February, but withdrew prior to the tournament after suffering another hamstring injury.[76]
At the
Indian Wells Open he recorded his 100th career win, defeating 31st seed
Tallon Griekspoor to reach the fourth round, making him the second fastest player to reach this milestone after
John McEnroe, and faster than the
Big 3.[77][36] After reaching the semifinals, Alcaraz defeated eleventh seed
Jannik Sinner in straight sets in an anticipated match.[78][79] Defeating fifth seed
Daniil Medvedev in the final, he won his eighth career title and third
Masters 1000 title, breaking Medvedev's 19-match winning streak, and becoming the first player to win the tournament without dropping a set since
Roger Federer in
2017. He additionally became the ninth and youngest man to win both legs of the Sunshine Double. As a result, he returned to world No. 1 on 20 March 2023.[80]
In
Miami where Alcaraz was the defending champion, he reached the semifinals having not dropped a set defeating
Facundo Bagnis,
Dušan Lajović, 16th seed
Tommy Paul and ninth seed
Taylor Fritz. This time he lost to Jannik Sinner in three sets.[81] He dropped to No. 2 in the rankings having not been able to defend his previous year title points.[82]
Alcaraz was scheduled to play at the
Monte-Carlo Masters the following week, but withdrew due to post-traumatic arthritis in his left hand and muscular discomfort in his spine.[83] He began the European clay court swing at the
Barcelona Open; defeating
Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final, he successfully defended his title without dropping a set.[84] He won his tenth career title at the
Madrid Open again as the defending champion, defeating lucky loser
Jan-Lennard Struff.[85] At the next clay court tournament, the
Rome Masters, Alcaraz earned the opportunity to clinch the No. 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic just by playing his second round match. However, he would be upset in the third round by the world No. 135
Fabian Marozsan in straight sets, in what
Jon Wertheim labelled the biggest upset of the year.[86][87]
At the
2023 French Open, Alcaraz advanced to the semifinals. In a highly anticipated match, he was defeated by Novak Djokovic in four sets, after suffering cramps at the onset of the third. Alcaraz and Djokovic had not played against each other in over a year, despite alternating between the world No. 1 ranking throughout 2023; Alcaraz would later claim the nerves of the occasion had partially led to his cramping. Djokovic regained the No. 1 ranking from Alcaraz, after he ultimately went on to win the tournament.[88][89]
At the
Queen's Club Championships, he recorded his first title on grass in only his third career grass court tournament, beating
Alex de Minaur in the final. The tournament win in London also returned him to the world No. 1 in rankings.[90] At the
2023 Wimbledon Championships, as the top seed, he reached the final following wins over
Jérémy Chardy,
Alexandre Müller,
Nicolas Jarry,
Matteo Berrettini,
Holger Rune, and
Daniil Medvedev. In a monumental
match, Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in five sets, ending Djokovic's run to win a fifth consecutive title, and securing the No. 1 ranking. With this win, Alcaraz became the second player, after
Andy Murray, to defeat Djokovic in a Wimbledon final.[91] Additionally, Alcaraz became the first non-"
Big 4" player to win Wimbledon since
Lleyton Hewitt's victory in
2002.[92]
Losing in the quarterfinals of
Toronto to
Tommy Paul,[93] Alcaraz would then lose to Djokovic in a rematch of their Wimbledon final, at the
Cincinnati final. He lost in three sets, despite having a championship point in the second-set tiebreak. It was the longest ever best-of-three-sets ATP Masters final and the longest match in the tournament's history, at 3 hours and 49 minutes; Djokovic would praise it as "one of the toughest matches of [his] life".[94][95] At the
2023 US Open, where Alcaraz was looking to defend his grand slam title, he reached the semifinals having only dropped one set. However, he lost to
2021 champion
Daniil Medvedev in four sets.[96] Alcaraz dropped to No. 2 in the rankings following the tournament, as
Novak Djokovic was not defending any points.[97] He additionally withdrew from the
Davis Cup Finals, citing tiredness.[98]
Alcaraz entered the year-end indoor hardcourt season with the goal of gaining the year-end No. 1 ranking.[99][100] However, in the Asian swing, he lost to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of
Beijing for a second time in the season, and then to
Grigor Dimitrov in the round of 16 at
Shanghai.[101][102] He then withdrew from
Basel due to injury,[103] and lost in his opening round at the
Paris-Bercy Masters to
Roman Safiullin.[104] At the
ATP Finals in
Turin, Alcaraz reached the semifinals after beating
Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev, and losing to
Alexander Zverev, in the round-robin stage. He would be defeated by eventual champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets, for a third time in the season.[105] Ultimately, Alcaraz ended the season as the year-end world No. 2.[106]
2024: First Australian Open quarterfinal, fifth Masters title
Alcaraz began his 2024 campaign at
Australian Open, making his furthest career run at the tournament after reaching the quarterfinals.[107] He lost to the sixth seed
Alexander Zverev in four sets.[108]
In February, Alcaraz entered
2024 Argentina Open as the defending champion and won his first two matches in straight sets[109] before losing to
Nicolás Jarry at the semifinal.[110] He retired from the
Rio Open the following week two games into his opening match due to a right ankle injury, after twisting his ankle.[111] He later announced a lateral sprain of his right ankle but said he'd miss just "a few days" before Indian Wells.[112]
As defending champion in
Indian Wells, Alcaraz came back into form defeating
Matteo Arnaldi,
Felix Auger-Aliassime,
Fabian Marozsan, and Alexander Zverev to reach the semifinals, having only dropped one set in his opening match against Arnaldi.[113] He next faced
Jannik Sinner for an eighth career meeting,[114] and defeated him to end Sinner's 19-match winning streak, levelling their rivalry to 4–4.[115] Alcaraz successfully defended his title again defeating
Daniil Medvedev in the final, earning him his first title since Wimbledon 2023.[116] In
Miami, where he would aim to complete the
Sunshine Double, Alcaraz reached the quarterfinals defeating
Roberto Carballes Baena,
Gael Monfils, and
Lorenzo Musetti without dropping a set.[117][118] However, he would lose to eventual finalist
Grigor Dimitrov for a second consecutive time.[119]
Rivalries
Jannik Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz and
Jannik Sinner have faced each other 8 times since 2021, with the rivalry tied at 4–4.[120] Their notable matches include the
2022 US Open quarterfinal, which Alcaraz won
saving match points (going on to win the title), and the
2023 Miami semifinal, which was won by Sinner.
Endorsements
Alcaraz is sponsored by
Nike for clothing and shoes, and by
Babolat for racquets, using the Babolat Pure Aero 98 racquet.[121][122] In January 2022, he became a brand ambassador for
Rolex.[123][124] He is also a brand ambassador for dermocosmetics company Isdin, Spanish food company
ElPozo, and German automobile manufacturer
BMW under their BMW Spain division.[125][126][127] In January 2023, he became ambassador for the American clothing brand
Calvin Klein especially for their 1996 underwear campaign.[128] In June 2023, Alcaraz became a brand ambassador for
Louis Vuitton.[129]
Playing style
Alcaraz is an
all-court,
all-round tennis player, but primarily employs an aggressive baseline style of play, with an emphasis on a high winner count from his
forehand, typically his most reliable and potent shot. He can either hit his forehand flat and fast for winners from every court position, or add a great amount of topspin and margin over the net. He also possesses a well-rounded and more flat and lower net-clearance
backhand groundstroke that he is able to redirect down the line for clean winners. His greatly disguised
drop shot is key to his game, as he often combines the heaviness of his groundstrokes that pushes his opponents back into the court into a defensive position, with a drop shot that is often too well-placed and disguised to deal with. He has an impressive net-game with great drop volleys and drive volleys, and frequently serves-and-volleys on crucial points.[130]
In 2024,
Mats Wilander declared that Alcaraz has the "greatest forehand of all time", while
Tim Henman said it was one of the "most devastating shots in the game right now".[131]
Alcaraz has a strong first serve for his mid-sized frame which is commonly around 115 to 120 mph and hit with average placement.[132] Alcaraz has a reliable second serve, to which he can add topspin in order to get a high bounce off the court and either push back or get a weak return from closer-returning opponents. This serve typically reaches 150 to 170 km/h (93 to 106 mph).[133]
Alcaraz has earned acclaim for his athletic and physical traits. In particular, his direct sprints, counterattacking abilities, and an extremely high peak
footspeed have garnered him comparisons to a young
Rafael Nadal. He has been compared to
Novak Djokovic for his assured lateral movement and court-coverage aided by physical splits and sliding through the court on defense, particularly on his backhand side where he is often able to neutralize his opponent's groundstroke aggression or drop shot attempts. Court coverage and exceptional touch have also been crucial in his success.[134][135]
Media
Alcaraz will be the subject of a
Netflix docuseries produced by
Morena Films, due to release in 2025.[136] He had previously made appearances in both seasons of Netflix's Break Point docuseries.[137]