Carlos Alcaraz‘s talent has captured the hearts of sports fans worldwide, extending far beyond tennis. His admiration for other sports and players has made him a beloved figure. In April 2023, Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior, Valverde, Ceballos, and Rodrygo traded the football pitch for Alcaraz’s match against Grigor Dimitrov at the Madrid Open. The 19-year-old Alcaraz, a devoted “Whites” fan, battled on, his every serve a testament to their gaze. “I still get nervous, I’m not going to lie,” he confessed, as the locker room echoed with their cheers. Giants watched, and a star felt the weight of their admiration—and he still does!
On Sunday, Carlos overcame his recent setbacks by claiming the Monte Carlo Masters crown. He secured his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title as Lorenzo Musetti faded physically in a disappointing end to their 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 final match. This win marked the end of his setbacks following a quarterfinal miss in Rotterdam, a semifinal fall in Indian Wells, and a first-round exit in Miami. It was a roaring comeback to glory!
His victory was celebrated by many as he shared a post-match Instagram carousel with his trophy held high. He received love from all over, including a special comment from his Real Madrid friend, Vinicius Jr, who applauded with “.” He wasn’t the only one; ex-Real Madrid player Joselu Mato also praised Carlos with “,” highlighting his fiery performance throughout the tournament. Alcaraz took down Francisco Cerundolo, Daniel Altmaier, had a tough match with Arthur Fils in the quarters, and dominated his friend Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semis!
Alcaraz’s love for Real Madrid is well-known. He has interacted with players up close and visited their matches, like the LaLiga match between Real Madrid and Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabéu last December. He watched the match from the presidential box, where he was welcomed by President Florentino Pérez, who gifted him a jersey with the number 1.
That’s not all; Real Madrid showed their support with a heartwarming message: “[Translated from Spanish] ‘Congratulations, dear Carlos Alcaraz, for your brilliant victory in Monte Carlo! Madridismo is proud that one of our own continues to make history.’” Everyone seems delighted for the Spaniard.
Last year, in October, Alcaraz shared his thoughts on the Ballon d’Or, saying, “Both Rodri and Vinícius deserve it.” He noted, “It seemed like Vinícius was going to win it, now it looks like it might be Rodri. They’re both incredible players and deserve it after such an amazing year. I get along well with both, so I’ll be happy for whoever wins.”
It’s a big win for Carlos! Not only did he secure his first Monte Carlo Masters title, but he will also surpass Alexander Zverev to reclaim the No. 2 spot in the ATP rankings. He has also surpassed his rival Jannik Sinner, who is currently serving a three-month ban, on the ATP Live Race to Turin list. How does Carlos feel about his journey ahead?
Alcaraz mentally prepares himself for the challenges ahead
In his post-match press conference, the Spaniard admitted he expects “difficult months ahead” as the clay season ramps up. “A lot of people have really high expectations on me, on having a really good clay season. Probably they want me to win almost every tournament, so it’s [going to] be difficult to deal with it, I guess,” he said. But Alcaraz revealed a key lesson he learned recently: focusing on himself and his close circle. “No matter what happens on court—if I win, if I lose—I just have to leave the court happy. I’m proud about everything I have done,” he added. This mindset paid off in Monte-Carlo.
Now ranked No. 2, Carlos plans to keep this focus as the clay season unfolds. “In the next couple of months, I will try to just keep going the same way that I approached this tournament and not think about the people talking about expectations,” he explained. Listening only to his team and close people is what matters most to him.
Alcaraz credited his coach Samuel Lopez for providing essential wisdom throughout the week. “Probably ‘Stay positive’ is the thing that he repeated most this week,” Alcaraz said. Lopez’s advice to face difficulties head-on instead of avoiding them proved pivotal. “When you realise and you accept it and you face it, everything is going the right way,” Alcaraz shared, reflecting on how this approach transformed his matches.
The young Spaniard also acknowledged how tough it would be to match Rafael Nadal’s legendary clay-court records. “Thinking about 11 [Monte-Carlo titles] is impossible, honestly,” he said with a smile. However, he has joined Rafa on the list of youngest players to reach the finals of Monte Carlo and Roland Garros aged 21 and under!
Will he be able to keep up the momentum and secure yet another win before the French Open kicks off next month on May 25? We’d love to know what you think!
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