Carlos Alcaraz’s character, combined with his premature success, makes him a magnetic personality in the tennis world. The noise surrounding him at any tournament is always deafening. He’s not only a fan favorite but also a popular figure among his peers. For example, his compatriot Roberto Caraballes Baena says, Alcaraz is a “10 out of 10 guy, really funny and nice.” His coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, calls him a “charming and humble kid,” while American legend Andy Roddick has noticed that “people are thirsty to see him, thirsty to watch him.“ Taking his “thirstless stardom” to further heights, recently, Alcaraz was spotted taking some time off from his preparation ahead of the French Open and indulging himself in a completely different role. But wait a minute, is that really Carlitos?
Recently, the official IG page of Roland Garros shared a video clip with the caption, “Fun times with ISDIN at Roland-Garros My first time going incognito, on a mission to keep everyone at the tournament protected from the sun! .” In that video clip, Carlos Alcaraz was spotted donning a white shirt paired with black trousers, and a white cap along with black sunglasses. His mission was to sell a few sunscreens, but without revealing his real identity.
He was heard saying, “I’m super excited about this prank. We’re gonna sell some sunscreens. So, let’s see how it’s gonna be.” After that, he was seen having some conversations with some of the fans asking, “You’re going to stay here to watch the tournament..who’s going to win?” In reply, the fan said it’s really a tight contest this time, “Alcaraz is good, I mean he’s in good shape.” Replying to the fan who was unaware of his real identity, Carlitos said, “Alcaraz is struggling with an injury. But he came from winning Rome.” Hearing this, the fan replied, “Let’s see!“
Then another fan came up to him saying, “I’m going to say something, but maybe you always hear it. You really look like Carlos Alcaraz.” Replying to this fan, the Spaniard said, “I don’t know why people tell me that. But honestly, for me it’s great. A lot of people tell me I look like Alcaraz.” Following that, the tennis star was spotted telling one of the fans about the sunscreen, and hearing all the details, one of them questioned, “In which sports did you try this one, tennis?” Carlos Alcaraz then hilariously replied, “Tennis? I don’t play much. I don’t play well.“
Carlitos is someone who always loves interacting with his fans, and perhaps this was just another of those light moments before entering the battlefield to defend his title at the Roland Garros. Reflecting his affection towards his fans, he once said, “I try to be friendly, warm, get on with everyone. It’s more important to be a good person than anything else. At the end of my career, I’d like people to remember me, more than as a tennis player, as someone with good values. At the end of the day, you only spend a few hours a day on court; the rest of your life, you’re off it. That’s why at those times I also try to use the manners that my parents taught me.“
He believes that there are players who get more serious in competition, and off the court, they are distant. But he doesn’t want to be like that. Instead, he has chosen the opposite path of trying to get on with everyone. Amid all the buzz surrounding his presence in Paris, he’s all set to start his campaign against Italy’s Giulio Zeppieri. How excited is he to make a return here in top form after twelve months?
“Roland Garros is a very special for me” – Carlos Alcaraz
Last year, Carlos Alcaraz defeated the German star, Alexander Zverev, by 6-3,2-6,5-7,6-1,6-2 to lift the title at the Philippe-Chatrier. This year, he is entering this tournament with already clinched titles in Monte Carlo and Rome. How excited is he to be back at this iconic venue? “It’s incredible to be back here in Paris, especially now I have all these great memories.”
Recalling some of his fond memories surrounding this mega clay court event, he added, “Roland-Garros is a very special place for me. Obviously, I watched many Spanish players do well here, including Rafa Nadal, of course. As a kid, I remember hurrying home from school to turn on the TV with one thing in mind – spending the afternoon watching the tennis.” All he wants this year is to “play with joy” and not “thinking about trying to be more solid.“
If we take a look at the draw, Alcaraz, being a second seed here, will get an opening round BYE, and then in the second round, he could face the local lad, Quentin Halys, and after that, Denis Shapovalov (R3) and Grigor Dimitrov (R4) could be his probable opponents. Following that, in the QF lies a real challenge of probably facing the three-time champion, Novak Djokovic. If he wins that match, Alcaraz could face America’s Taylor Fritz before taking on his arch-rival, Jannik Sinner, in the final.
Looking at this path, is he a real favorite in 2025 as well? According to Rafael Nadal’s ex-coach, Carlos Moya, “He (Alcaraz) probably is the biggest favorite to win the French Open.“ Do you agree with this statement? Share your thoughts in the comment box.
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