Moments before Carlos Alcaraz (Murcia, El Palmar, 22 years old) is about to reply, members of his team enter the locker room and dance a kind of conga while the world number one laughs loudly. One of them, coach Samuel Lopez, tries to get him to sleep on some pillows while joking. “So, with that, we have to rest!” “Well, of course! And I want you to hurry up and go to the hotel… Now, come on, let’s go now.” para! ”. The tennis player looked happy and calm. The wheels are still spinning. The competition isn’t over yet, he remembers, and he has two other great prizes within reach: this Master’s Cup, which will be decided over the weekend, and the close Davis Cup finale, which begins on Tuesday at La Fiera in Bologna.
Shortly before that, his father, Carlos, was also paraded on the ranch, always polite and reserved, but at the same time enthusiastic about his son’s never-ending ascension. That’s not a small amount. A young racket prodigy, Alcaraz is the tennis player of the year and the player with the most wins (70) and trophies (8). According to the classification, it is also the most dominant one. For the second time in his still short career, he will finish the year at the top of the list. In just five years, his life has changed dramatically from the city to history. But we can guess that he has his feet firmly on the ground and that fame has not distorted the normalcy of him and his family.
The humble boy is still there. He will face Alexander Zverev in the semifinals this Saturday (8:30 p.m., Movistar+), but despite his unparalleled brazenness and confidence on the court, he first answered El Paz in his usual deep voice, revealing his shy nature. That rubber doll is heaven. It is said to be unique. The annual big fight with Jannik Sinner has finally been settled in his favor. He was dressed to accept an award, but now he’s wearing a T-shirt, baggy pants, and futuristic clogs. It exudes authenticity and delicacy.
listen. Please explain to earthlings. What does number one look like when viewed from above?
answer. After all, number one is number one; Ranking Don’t cheat. This means you were the best all year, but the reality is different. Even if you’re there, you can lose to anyone or in the first round. While this classification says one thing, the reality of the sport is very different. Of course, it feels great when you’re at the top (stretching your vowels) and it’s incredible to see yourself there, but I still feel like I need to improve in a lot of ways.
Q. How much is talent and how much is sacrifice?
R. Talent is helpful, but work is far more important. If you think about it, deep down, there are far more players who put in far more effort and got there than those who were talented but didn’t put in the necessary effort. Working hard is the most important thing and doing your best every day. It trumps talent. In my case, I think I’ve had more work than talent over the years, but I’ve had no shortage of the latter (lol mischievously).
Q. He would never have thought of wearing the crown like Lamine Yamal. What do you think? Does your generation sometimes try too hard?
Ramin’s crown? I can’t finish watching it. “I like what other people are doing, but I don’t feel that way.”
R. No, I can’t finish watching it…but I don’t think I’m the best in the world. I like to see things like that from other people, but I don’t do it because I don’t feel that way.
Q. Do you know how much coffee costs?
R. yes of course!
Q. I say this because your life has radically changed in just four years…by how much?
R. That being said, I get it because it seems like every time I go home I come back to reality. Then I’m back to my usual self, going to the cafeteria and having coffee with my friends and eating breakfast or lunch together. I value such things, so I have a dual perspective.
Q. My father said that I should keep drinking the 2 euro ones and that I didn’t need the 5 euro ones, so I told him this too. You know what I mean? Does this apply to you?
R. Apply, apply. Admittedly, I don’t often like arguments and I often get into a confrontation with someone because they charge me 6 or 7 euros and say it’s a scam, so I pay it, but I know it’s not normal. The price of coffee is 1.20 or 1.50, which is the same as 7 worth of coffee, which is the current actual price. I’m clear about that.
Q. Are you still sleeping in those 80 beds?
R. Yes, I’m still there, in the same bed shown in the documentary (Carlos Alcaraz: My way). That is still my place.
Q. is he happy?
R. Yes, I think so. Now I have everything.
Q. More or less than the last time I ate kebabs with friends in the town square?
R. Hmm…it’s the same. After all, although the circumstances are different, there are still moments when you go home and eat something for dinner with friends anywhere. Now I have the opportunity to go to the best places in the world and be recognized, but there’s also the part of coming home, so I think I’m just as happy.
Q. Is this star’s life what you imagined?
R. It’s much tougher than people think.
Q. Do you think people are very idealized about you from the outside?
R. surely. When you’re a kid, you fixate on what you see on TV, so you dream of playing on big courts, achieving results, and meeting great people. It’s all part of it and it’s great, but people don’t know what’s behind the scenes. Excited children and young people don’t see it. That doesn’t mean it’s good or bad, but when you arrive, everything surprises you: the invisible training, what you have to do after the game, the press, the pressure, the tension… it’s all there, but you don’t feel it until you experience it. I think this is much more difficult than we think, but there are some beautiful parts as well.
A lot of people don’t believe me because of the way I express myself and play, but I’m very shy.
Q. And which is harder to deal with: rivals, travel, the calendar, or the daily monotony?
R. It will eliminate your competitors, but it will cover everything. Analyzing your rivals and how they approach the game is difficult, but also beautiful. I value more about having to travel week after week, having only a few days to adjust to a location, or having to quickly pack and unpack for a move. After all, you never get used to a place, and once you start getting used to it, you have to leave. Being away from family and friends is difficult and obviously monotonous. It’s always games, practices, games, practices, games, practices…all of that becomes a wheel in the end, and it gets very tiring.
Q. It’s an important decision, nothing more, nothing less. Do you think the next 15 years will be like this, almost as externally demanded?
R. At the end of the day, we try to move forward one year at a time instead of thinking about 15 years from now, which means I’ll be 37. I hope to be in the same place in 5 years. I’m not talking about number one, but I hope they have the same desire, the same motivation, the same vitality when it comes to going to tournaments. I hope that happens within 5 days, and once that happens, I’ll think about the next 5 things. I have to progress little by little and hopefully I can have a very long career both physically and mentally, but for that I have to start taking care of myself now and continue on my best circuit. old Possible.
Q. The other day, a former player asked at a press conference if he had a girlfriend. Do you understand the interest it generates, that so many people want to know what it is and what it does?
A. My life has been exposed a lot and I have to know how to deal with it. Still, it is true that there are many things that should be kept private, as it is important to distinguish between what can and cannot be shown to others. To be honest, I’m a very natural person and I let a lot of things out, but sometimes it’s better to keep it to yourself to feel safe and calm, even if it’s just a little bubble of safety. Not everyone has access to that information or has the ability to form an opinion on those matters. At the end of the day, everything has a big impact, whether positive or negative.
Q. He handles everything very naturally. When viewed from the outside, it gives the impression that what you see is actually there. is that so?
R. Yes, I am too. For better or worse, there will always be people who don’t like you and that’s normal, so at least they know how I live. I’m the same way, and it’s not like I’m forcing myself to create a character or have a face I don’t want to wear. This is how I live, how I live my life, and focus on everything. It’s true that you may behave a little differently towards your friends from the city or the ones you hang out with all the time, but that’s normal. In general, what you see is me.
Q. The rain of praise falls upon him day after day. Do you ever get overwhelmed by constantly being told how great you are?
R. Really, a little. A lot of people don’t believe me because of the way I express myself and the way I perform and speak in front of 15,000 or 20,000 people, but deep down I’m a very modest person…or rather, I’m very shy.
Q. Are you shy?
R. Yeah! (Laughs) Can you see it? I’m very shy, so I would be happy if a lot of people compliment me, but I don’t know how to deal with it.
Q. Tell me, what does your ideal day look like?
R. It’s very difficult to project that. Because you can talk about one thing today, another thing tomorrow, and another thing three months from now. Every moment has its place. Now I can say that I like to go golfing in the morning and relax, then go out to eat with my family and friends and then go out for drinks later. You can also play Them and Me board games without leaving the house. For me, something related to being at home is ideal.
There will always be people who don’t like you, and that’s normal. But for better or worse, that’s who I am.
Q. What are you worried about? What are you afraid of? Because you’re going to get it, right?
R. Personal issues and family issues above all else, that’s often what scares you the most because I care so much about being happy and feeling good. That’s what gives me the most. Also the fact that you are not aware that things are happening. Tennis is my life, and there are many times when I get overwhelmed thinking about things, and I get overwhelmed by not being able to recognize what’s really going on or not being able to make a decision.
Q. I don’t know if he has time to see what the world is like because he plays too much tennis. It’s more of a mixture, right?
R. It’s quite crowded…
Q. Do you like to keep yourself informed or do you like to live in this bubble?
R. I’m not the type to be overwhelmed with information or look up things every day, but I like to know what’s going on in the world and in my country and how things are progressing. In the end, it is very difficult to know what is right or wrong and what is really happening, because there are different situations and people’s opinions. There are lies, too, because in the end many lies are told about many things.
Q. Lastly, will you be able to maintain this pace and cruising speed next year?
R. A win rate of over 90%, 8 titles, 10 finals appearances… Of course it’s difficult to maintain that, but I’ll aim for that and improve. I don’t think anything will happen if I fall a little lower… On the other hand, I don’t think anything will happen if I go a little higher… (lol) The goal is to continue this consistency and rhythm, and we will work to achieve that.
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