Carlos Alcaraz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz at the 2025 French Open
Full name	Carlos Alcaraz Garfia
Country (sports)	Spain
Residence	Villena, Spain
Born	(2003-05-05) 5 May 2003 (age 22) El Palmar, Murcia, Spain
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Turned pro	2018
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Juan Carlos Ferrero (2019–) Samuel López (2024–)
Prize money	US $44,732,623  7th all-time in earnings
Singles
Career record	246–61
Career titles	20
Highest ranking	No. 1 (12 September 2022)
Current ranking	No. 2 (18 May 2025)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	QF (2024, 2025)
French Open	W (2024, 2025)
Wimbledon	W (2023, 2024)
US Open	W (2022)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (2023)
Olympic Games	F (2024)
Doubles
Career record	7–6
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 519 (9 May 2022)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	QF (2024)
Medal record Representing  Spain Olympic Games Silver 2024 Paris Singles

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia (born May 5, 2003) is a super talented professional tennis player from Spain. He's so good that he reached the world No. 1 spot in men's tennis, which means he was ranked the best player in the world! He even finished the year 2022 as the No. 1 player. Alcaraz has already won 20 big tournaments called ATP Tour singles titles. This includes five Grand Slam titles (the four most important tournaments in tennis) and seven ATP 1000 titles (another set of very important tournaments).

Carlos, or "Carlitos" as some call him, started playing professionally in 2018 when he was just 15. He quickly climbed up the rankings. By 2022, at only 18, he won his first ATP 1000 title at the Miami Open. Later that year, he won his first Grand Slam, the US Open. This made him the youngest man ever to be ranked No. 1, at 19 years, 4 months, and 6 days old! He also became the youngest player to finish the year as No. 1. For these amazing achievements, he won a special award called the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year.

In 2023, Alcaraz won his second Grand Slam at Wimbledon, beating the famous Novak Djokovic in an amazing final match. In 2024, he won two more Grand Slams: the French Open and Wimbledon again! He also won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. In 2025, he won the French Open for a second time, making an incredible comeback after being two sets down against Jannik Sinner. Right now, Alcaraz is ranked as the world No. 2 player.

Getting Started in Tennis

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia was born on May 5, 2003, in a town called El Palmar, Murcia, in Spain. His parents are Carlos Alcaraz González and Virginia Garfia Escandón. He has an older brother, Álvaro, and two younger brothers, Sergio and Jaime.

Carlos started playing tennis when he was only four years old! He played at a club where his dad was a tennis coach. His dad also used to play tennis but had to stop when he was a teenager because it was too expensive.

When Carlos was eleven, a talent scout named Albert Molina noticed how good he was. Molina helped him get signed by a big sports company called IMG. He also introduced Carlos to Juan Carlos Ferrero, who would later become his main coach.

Carlos often travels to tournaments with his dad and his brother Álvaro. Álvaro helps him practice by being his hitting partner. When he's not playing in tournaments, Carlos spends time in his hometown of Murcia and at his training center in Villena. His friends and family often call him "Carlitos" or "Charly."

Professional Career Highlights

2019–2020: Turning Pro

When Carlos was just 15, in April 2019, he played his first match in the Challenger tour. This tour is like a stepping stone to the main professional tour. He got a special invitation, called a "wild card," to play. He even won his first match against Jannik Sinner, who was 17 at the time! This made Carlos the first player born in 2003 to win a Challenger match.

Carlos continued to do well, winning four Challenger tournaments, three of them before he turned 18.

In February 2020, at 16, Carlos played his first match in the main ATP Tour at the Rio Open, again with a wild card. He won against Albert Ramos Viñolas, becoming the first player born in 2003 to win an ATP Tour match. He lost in the next round, but it was a great start!

2021: First ATP Title and Rising Star

Alcaraz at the 2021 French Open

When he was 17, Carlos played in his first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open. He was the youngest player there and won his first match before losing in the second round. A Grand Slam is one of the four biggest events in tennis.

Later, at the Madrid Open, Carlos became the youngest player to win a match in that tournament's history, breaking a record held by Rafael Nadal! He even played against Nadal on his 18th birthday. By winning a Challenger tournament in May 2021, he jumped into the top 100 ranked players in the world.

At the French Open, another Grand Slam, he reached the third round for the first time. In July, he won his very first ATP Tour title at the Croatia Open Umag. This made him the youngest player to win an ATP title since Kei Nishikori in 2008.

The US Open was a big moment for Carlos. He beat the world No. 3 player, Stefanos Tsitsipas, in an exciting five-set match. At 18, he became the youngest man to reach the quarterfinals (the round of the last eight players) at the US Open in the Open Era (the current era of professional tennis). Sadly, he had to stop playing in the quarterfinals due to an injury.

By the end of the year, Carlos was ranked in the top 35. He also won the Next Gen ATP Finals, a special tournament for the best young players.

2022: Winning the US Open and Becoming No. 1

Alcaraz at the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters

2022 was an incredible year for Carlos! He started by reaching the third round of the Australian Open. Then, he won his first ATP 500 title (a very important tournament level) at the Rio Open. This helped him get into the top 20 rankings. At the Miami Open, he won his first ATP 1000 title, becoming the youngest champion in that tournament's history!

Alcaraz at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships

He continued his amazing run by winning the Barcelona Open, which put him in the top 10 rankings for the first time. He was the youngest to do this since Rafael Nadal. At the Madrid Open, he did something amazing: he beat Rafael Nadal and then Novak Djokovic (the world No. 1 at the time) in back-to-back matches on clay courts. He then won the final, becoming the youngest champion there too!

Carlos Alcaraz, Basel 2022

At the US Open, Carlos made history. He won the tournament, which was his first Grand Slam title! This victory also made him the world No. 1 player. At 19 years, 4 months, and 6 days old, he was the youngest man ever to reach the No. 1 spot in the history of the ATP Rankings. He was also the youngest US Open champion since Pete Sampras in 1990.

Carlos finished the year as the youngest ever year-end No. 1 player. What a season! Unfortunately, an injury at the end of the year meant he had to miss the ATP Finals.

2023: Winning Wimbledon and More Milestones

Alcaraz at the 2023 French Open

Carlos started 2023 by missing the Australian Open due to an injury. But he soon bounced back! He won the Argentina Open. Then, at the Indian Wells Open, he won the tournament and also got his 100th career win! This victory put him back at the world No. 1 ranking. He was one of the fastest players ever to reach 100 wins.

He continued to dominate on clay courts, winning the Barcelona Open and the Madrid Open again. At the French Open, he reached the semifinals but lost to Novak Djokovic after suffering from cramps.

Alcaraz holding the Gentlemen's Singles Challenge Cup after winning the 2023 Wimbledon Championships

Carlos then showed his skills on grass courts. He won the Queen's Club Championships, his first title on grass, and became No. 1 again. The biggest highlight of the year came at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. He reached the final and played an amazing match against Novak Djokovic, winning in five sets! This was his second Grand Slam title and stopped Djokovic from winning his fifth Wimbledon in a row.

He also reached the semifinals of the US Open. Carlos finished the year ranked as the world No. 2.

2024: French Open, Wimbledon, and Olympic Silver

Alcaraz holding the Coupe des Mousquetaires (the French Open trophy) after winning in 2024

In 2024, Carlos continued to impress. He reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. He successfully defended his title at the Indian Wells Open, winning it for the second year in a row.

The clay court season had some ups and downs due to a forearm injury, but Carlos was ready for the French Open. He fought his way to the final and won, defeating Alexander Zverev in five sets! This was his third Grand Slam title. By winning on hard court (US Open), grass (Wimbledon), and now clay (French Open), he became the youngest male player ever to win major titles on all three surfaces.

Alcaraz with his silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Just a month later, Carlos won Wimbledon again, beating Novak Djokovic in the final in straight sets. Winning both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year is called the "Channel Slam," and Carlos became the youngest man in the Open Era to achieve this.

At the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, he won a silver medal for Spain, losing to Djokovic in the gold medal match. Later in the year, he won the China Open, becoming the first player to win an ATP 500 tournament on clay, grass, and hard courts.

2025: Defending His French Open Crown

Carlos started his 2025 season by reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. In February, he won the Rotterdam Open. This was his first title of the year and his first ever on an indoor hard court.

He then had a fantastic clay court season. He won the Monte-Carlo Masters for the first time. After that, he won the Italian Open, beating world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. This meant he had won all the major clay court tournaments (French Open, Monte-Carlo, Madrid, and Rome).

At the French Open, Carlos played an unbelievable final against Jannik Sinner to defend his title. Sinner was very close to winning, but Carlos saved three championship points (points that would have won Sinner the match) and came back from two sets down to win in a fifth-set tiebreak! The match lasted five hours and twenty-nine minutes, making it the longest final in French Open history. Many people said it was one of the best performances of his career.

Famous Rivalries

Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, another amazing young player, have played each other 12 times in big tournaments, with Alcaraz leading their matchups 8–4. Their matches are often super exciting and close! One famous match was the quarterfinal of the 2022 US Open, which Carlos won in five sets on his way to winning the title. In 2025, they played two incredible finals. First, Carlos beat Sinner at the Italian Open. Then, they had an epic battle in the French Open final, where Carlos made a historic comeback to win. Many fans and experts think their rivalry could be one of the most important in tennis for years to come.

Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic after their exciting 2023 Wimbledon final

Carlos Alcaraz has also had some incredible matches against Novak Djokovic, one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Even though there's a 16-year age difference between them, their matches are always very competitive. Djokovic currently leads their head-to-head 5–3.

Their first big match was at the 2022 Madrid Open, where Carlos won. One of their most famous matches was the 2023 Wimbledon final. Carlos defeated Djokovic in a thrilling five-set match that lasted almost five hours! They played another classic in the 2023 Cincinnati Open final, which Djokovic won after saving a championship point. In 2024, Carlos beat Djokovic in the Wimbledon final again, but Djokovic won when they played in the Olympics final. Their matches are always a big event for tennis fans!

How Carlos Plays Tennis

Carlos is known as an all-court player, meaning he's good at playing from all parts of the tennis court. But he mostly plays an aggressive baseline style. This means he likes to hit powerful shots from the back of the court.

His forehand (when he hits the ball on the same side as his playing hand) is one of his best shots. He can hit it super fast and flat, or with a lot of topspin to make it bounce high. His backhand (hit on the opposite side) is also very strong. Because he hits so aggressively, he often hits many winners (shots the opponent can't reach), but sometimes also makes more errors.

Carlos has a powerful first serve, often around 115 to 120 miles per hour! His second serve usually has a lot of topspin, making it tricky for opponents. While his serve is good, some say it's an area he can still improve. He's excellent at returning serves, especially first serves.

One of Carlos's signature shots is the drop shot. He hits it softly so it just drops over the net, often when his opponent is far back. It's very well disguised, meaning it's hard for opponents to guess when he'll hit it. Andy Roddick, a former No. 1 player, said Carlos has "the best drop shot in the history of tennis." He's also great at the net, using volleys (hitting the ball before it bounces) effectively.

What makes Carlos really special is his amazing athleticism. He's incredibly fast, can run down almost any ball, and can quickly turn defense into attack. People compare his speed to Rafael Nadal and his smooth movement around the court to Novak Djokovic. He also has a great touch, similar to Roger Federer. Djokovic once said Carlos has "the best of all three worlds" – meaning he has qualities of Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic himself!

Carlos has an amazing record in long, five-set matches (13 wins and only 1 loss!). He says he plays his best tennis when he's having fun on the court, and he's known for his creative and exciting style of play.

His Coaches and Support Team

When Carlos was young, his coach was Kiko Navarro. In 2018, he started training with Juan Carlos Ferrero, a former world No. 1 tennis player. Ferrero runs a tennis academy and decided to coach Carlos even though other top players wanted him. Their partnership has been very successful, and Ferrero even won an award for being the best coach in 2022. Carlos has said that Ferrero is like a "second father" to him. In 2024, Samuel López also joined the coaching team to help Ferrero.

Carlos has a big team that helps him. This includes a physical trainer, physiotherapists (people who help with injuries and keeping his body healthy), a doctor, his agent (who manages his career), and his brother Álvaro, who often practices with him.

Off the Court

Working with Brands

Like many famous athletes, Carlos works with several big companies. Nike provides his clothes and shoes, and he uses racquets made by Babolat. He's also a brand ambassador (meaning he represents the brand) for luxury watch company Rolex, skincare company Isdin, Spanish food company ElPozo, car maker BMW, fashion brand Calvin Klein, and luxury goods company Louis Vuitton.

Helping Others

In 2024, Carlos started the Carlos Alcaraz Garfia Foundation. The goal of his foundation is to help children who might not have as many opportunities. It's based in his hometown of El Palmar and works with local schools. His foundation also helped people affected by floods in Spain in 2024 by providing buses for volunteers and raising money.

Other Interests

Besides tennis, Carlos is a big fan of football (soccer) and supports the famous Spanish team Real Madrid. He also cheers for other Spanish athletes like Formula One race car driver Fernando Alonso. Carlos enjoys playing golf and chess too. Chess.com even made a special Carlos Alcaraz chess computer program that people can play against!

Career statistics

Grand Slam tournament performance timeline

Current through the 2025 French Open.

Grand Slam tournament finals

Singles: 5 (5 titles)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	2022	US Open	Hard	Casper Ruud	6–4, 2–6, 7–6(7–1), 6–3
Win	2023	Wimbledon	Grass	Novak Djokovic	1–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–1, 3–6, 6–4
Win	2024	French Open	Clay	Alexander Zverev	6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1, 6–2
Win	2024	Wimbledon (2)	Grass	Novak Djokovic	6–2, 6–2, 7–6(7–4)
Win	2025	French Open (2)	Clay	Jannik Sinner	4–6, 6–7(4–7), 6–4, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(10–2)

Summer Olympics

Singles: 1 (silver medal)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2024	Paris Olympics	Clay	Novak Djokovic	6–7(3–7), 6–7(2–7)

Records

Open Era records

Awards

• ATP Newcomer of the Year (2020)
• ATP Player of the Year (2022)
• ATP Most Improved Player (2022)
• Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year (2023)
• Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award (2023)

See also

In Spanish: Carlos Alcaraz para niños

• List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players (since 1973)
• Top ten ranked male tennis players
• List of Grand Slam men's singles champions
• World number 1 ranked male tennis players (all time, based on recognized tennis authorities)
• ATP Awards
• Tennis in Spain