Why tennis is very lucky to have Carlos Alcaraz

Editor's Note: This story originally ran on May 5, Alcaraz's birthday

Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest man to win Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces and the youngest man to reach No. 1 on the ATP rankings. On the court, he’s stood in the winners’ circle 18 times and surpassed $40 million in prize money. Off it, his star power has garnered partnerships with the likes of Rolex, Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton, while spawning a recently released Netflix docuseries.

For all his successes and a future full of endless possibilities, Alcaraz still carries the heart of the boy from Murcia—one who had ambitions of stepping into the ring of his sport’s most iconic venues.

“Sometimes it’s pretty difficult to do it because of the pressure, other things outside of tennis. We can’t complain or get mad. We just have to enjoy these beautiful places,” the Spaniard tells me in Monte Carlo.

“Being able to play in these tournaments has been always my dream. It’s time to enjoy, to give. That is my happiness to everyone.”

His bad mood is a happy mood for 99 percent of the planet. Daniil Medvedev

By now, Alcaraz has long surpassed simply competing in stadiums. He’s the main draw of the main draw, the one pulling in sold-out crowds wherever he goes.

As several fellow competitors help illuminate his Aura-raz, it’s a blend of spellbinding shot-making, diverse game that covers north, south, east and west, r-e-s-p-e-c-t, and magnetic joy that brings out a trademark smile—even on the points he doesn’t win.

Says the ATP’s resident quote king Daniil Medvedev, “He’s just a very happy person. Which is in a way, sometimes rare to see because we can all have a bad day, bad mood. And him, I didn’t see it.

“His bad mood is a happy mood for 99 percent of the planet.”

Believes Felix Auger-Aliassime, “I think when people watch sports, they want to see something they don’t see in regular life. They want to see explosiveness, they want to see emotions, they want to see intensity. He brings all of that. And he does all of (it) with a smile and a great passion for the sport.”

“When it comes to his game, he’s so athletic. He can pull off any shot, which is cool for fans to see but also fellow players,” adds Casper Ruud. “I’m sometimes amazed at the shots he hits.”

Finds Holger Rune, “Carlos is very confident the way he’s playing on the court, which is quite impressive. No matter whether it’s going his way or not on the court, he keeps committing to his game. That’s also one of the reasons why I feel he’s so good.”

When I’m talking to someone else, when I’m in a room, or with the crowd, I just forget I’m a tennis player. I’m thinking that I’m a human being, the same as the people I’m talking with. Carlos Alcaraz

For all the good will Alcaraz generates as a competitor, his good-guy spirit equally resonates. In the midst of a fifth full ATP season, Carlitos is still the same Carlitos that first burst on the scene at 16 with a winning tour-level debut. Attentive, polite, approachable, down-to-earth, authentic are but a few adjectives that haven’t deviated in establishing Alcaraz as a natural driver of human connection.

Shares Grigor Dimitrov, “His pureness, I think this is what I like the most. I like how open he is to communicate, being able to express himself. I’m a really big fan of that. I like when people are wearing their heart on their sleeve and in the same time, can be a ferocious competitor. I really love that combination about him.”

“His charisma is huge. Not only is he a great champion—he’s young, humble, he’s kind, he’s genuine, funny guy. Always has a smile on his face. Has respect for other people,” states Jack Draper.

Whether it’s a colleague, a fan waiting in the wings, a tournament transport driver or a television producer, Alcaraz treats every interaction the same: without a trace of self-importance.

“When I’m talking to someone else, when I’m in a room, or with the crowd, I just forget I’m a tennis player. I’m thinking that I’m a human being, the same as the people I’m talking with,” he says.

“I’m not thinking about them like I’m superior or better than people. That’s why I feel that connection. They’re treating me like I’m normal people.”

Tennis is very lucky to have Carlos. Jack Draper

Credits Ruud, “I’ve heard that he still lives with his parents back home in Murica, still has his own room there in the house. He’s a very humble guy. What more could you ask for from an athlete? He’s a great role model for kids in terms of the way he plays, but also behaves and acts off the court.”

This month, Alcaraz celebrated his 22nd birthday. While it’s all but likely we haven’t seen the best of him on the court yet, let us celebrate the incredible fortune of having a person like Alcaraz in our sport.

As Draper aptly sums it up, “Tennis is very lucky to have Carlos.”