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 (Head coach) (2019–) Samuel López (as assistant coach) (2024–)
Prize money	US $47,362,248  6th all-time in earnings
Singles
Career record	257–62
Career titles	21
Highest ranking	No. 1 (12 September 2022)
Current ranking	No. 2 (19 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 5 May 2003) is a Spanish professional tennis player. He has been ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He was the year-end No. 1 in 2022. Alcaraz has won 21 singles titles on the ATP Tour. These include five major titles, also known as Grand Slams: two at the French Open, two at the Wimbledon Championships, and one at the US Open.

Alcaraz started his professional tennis journey in 2018 when he was 15. He entered the top 100 players in May 2021. He finished that year in the top 35 after reaching the US Open quarterfinals. In March 2022, he won his first big ATP 1000 tournament in Miami at age 18. Alcaraz won his first major title at the 2022 US Open. He became the youngest man and the first male teenager in the Open Era to reach the No. 1 ranking. He was 19 years, 4 months, and 6 days old. He ended 2022 as the youngest year-end No. 1 in ATP history. He also won the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award.

In 2023, Alcaraz won his second major title at Wimbledon. He beat seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in an exciting final. In 2024, he won the French Open and Wimbledon. He also earned a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. He won his fifth major title at the French Open in 2025. In that final, he came back from two sets down to beat top player Jannik Sinner.

Early Life and Family

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

Carlos started playing tennis at age four. He played at the Real Sociedad Club de Campo de Murcia. His father was a tennis coach and manager at the club. His mother worked as a sales assistant. Carlos's father also played tennis but stopped as a teenager because it was too expensive.

When Carlos was eleven, Albert Molina discovered him. Molina helped him sign with IMG. Later, Molina introduced Carlos to his future coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Carlos often travels to tournaments with his father and his brother Álvaro. Álvaro works as his hitting partner. When tennis season is over, Carlos spends time at his parents' home in Murcia. He also trains at his center in nearby Villena. His friends and family call him "Carlitos" or "Charly."

Carlos's Tennis Journey

Starting as a Pro (2018–2020)

In February 2018, when he was 14, Carlos played his first professional tennis event. It was an ITF Futures tournament in Murcia, Spain. He beat the second-ranked player, Federico Gaio, and reached the quarterfinals. He earned his first two ATP points and became world No. 1414.

In April 2019, at age 15, Carlos played his first Challenger tournament. He won his first match against 17-year-old Jannik Sinner. Sinner had won 16 matches in a row. Carlos became the first player born in 2003 to win a Challenger match. He later won four Challenger titles, three before he turned 18.

In February 2020, at 16, Carlos played his first ATP main tournament at the Rio Open. He beat Albert Ramos Viñolas in a long match. Carlos was the first player born in 2003 to win an ATP Tour match. He was even the first to do so before anyone born in 2002.

First Big Wins (2021)

Alcaraz at the 2021 French Open

Carlos played in the main part of a major tournament for the first time at the 2021 Australian Open. He was the youngest man to qualify for this tournament since Novak Djokovic in 2005. Carlos won his first match at the Australian Open. He was the only teenager to get past the first round.

Carlos received a special entry into the Miami Open. This was his first time playing in an ATP Masters 1000 event. He later played at the Andalucía Open. He reached the semifinals, which was his best result so far.

At the Madrid Open, Carlos became the youngest player to win a match in the tournament's history. He broke a record set by Rafael Nadal in 2004. On his 18th birthday, he played Nadal for the first time and lost.

Carlos won his fourth Challenger title at the Challenger Oeiras III. After this, he entered the top 100 players in the world. He was the youngest player in the ATP top 100.

Carlos made his debut at the French Open. He reached the third round. He was the youngest man to do so at the French Open in 29 years. He also played at Wimbledon for the first time.

In July, Carlos won the Croatia Open Umag. This was his first ATP Tour title. He became the youngest tour champion since Kei Nishikori in 2008.

At the US Open, Carlos beat world No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas. This was his biggest win at the time. He became the youngest man to beat a top 3 player at the US Open since 1973. He reached the quarterfinals, becoming the youngest US Open men's quarterfinalist in the Open Era. He had to stop playing in the quarterfinals due to a leg injury.

Carlos won the Next Gen ATP Finals. He beat Sebastian Korda in the final. He was the top player in this tournament for young stars.

Becoming World No. 1 (2022)

Carlos reached the third round of the Australian Open. He won his first ATP 500 title at the Rio Open. He was the youngest winner of an ATP 500 event. He entered the top 20 rankings in February 2022.

Alcaraz at the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters

At the Miami Open, Carlos won his first ATP 1000 title. He was the first Spanish player to win this title. At 18 years old, he was the youngest men's singles champion in Miami Open history.

At the Barcelona Open, Carlos entered the world top 10 for the first time. He was the youngest player to break into the top 10 since Rafael Nadal in 2005. Carlos then won the Barcelona Open title.

Carlos played at the Madrid Open. A day after his 19th birthday, he beat Rafael Nadal. The next day, he faced world No. 1 Novak Djokovic for the first time. Carlos won after a long match. He became the youngest player to beat a world No. 1 since 2004. He was also the only player to beat Nadal and Djokovic back-to-back on clay. In the final, he beat Alexander Zverev to win the title. He became the youngest champion in the tournament's history.

Carlos reached the quarterfinals of the French Open. At Wimbledon, he reached the fourth round. He then played in two finals in a row, at the Hamburg Open and the Croatia Open. These results helped him reach a new ranking of world No. 4.

Alcaraz at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships

Carlos entered the US Open. He made it through the first three rounds without losing a set. In the quarterfinals, he saved a match point and won against Jannik Sinner. This match lasted over five hours and ended very late. Carlos then won a third five-set match in the semifinals. He faced Casper Ruud in the final. Both players could become world No. 1 by winning. Carlos won the match and his first major title.

Carlos became the youngest No. 1 in ATP Rankings history at 19 years old. He was the youngest men's major champion since Nadal in 2005. He was also the first man born in the 2000s to win a major singles title. Carlos spent the longest time on court in major history during his seven matches.

Carlos had to end his 2022 season early due to an abdominal injury. He finished the year as the youngest world No. 1 in the ATP era.

Wimbledon Champion (2023)

Alcaraz at the 2023 French Open

Carlos missed the Australian Open due to a hamstring injury. After the tournament, he lost his world No. 1 ranking to Novak Djokovic.

Carlos started his 2023 season at the Argentina Open. He won his first title since his US Open win in 2022. The next week, he reached the final of the Rio Open. He lost to Cameron Norrie after hurting his leg again.

Carlos returned at Indian Wells. He won his 100th career match. He beat Jannik Sinner in the semifinals and Daniil Medvedev in the final. He won the trophy without losing a single set. This was his eighth career title and third ATP 1000 title. He became the first player to win Indian Wells without losing a set since Roger Federer in 2017. He also became the youngest man to win both Indian Wells and Miami (the "Sunshine Double"). He regained the world No. 1 ranking.

Carlos reached the semifinals of the Miami Open. He lost to Jannik Sinner. He then dropped back to world No. 2.

Carlos won his second straight title at the Barcelona Open. He beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. He also won his tenth career title at the Madrid Open. He became world No. 1 again by playing his second round match at the Italian Open. However, he lost in the third round to Fabian Marozsan.

Carlos reached the semifinals of the French Open. He played Novak Djokovic in a highly anticipated match. Carlos struggled with cramps and lost in four sets.

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

Carlos won his first title on grass at the Queen's Club Championships. This win also made him world No. 1 again. At Wimbledon, he reached the final. He faced seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. Carlos won the match in an exciting five-setter. This was his first Wimbledon title and second major title. He became the only man outside the "Big Four" (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray) to win Wimbledon since 2002.

Carlos lost in the quarterfinals of Toronto. He then played Djokovic again in the Cincinnati final. Carlos lost in three sets, even though he had a chance to win the match. It was the longest ATP Masters final ever. Carlos reached the semifinals of the 2023 US Open as the defending champion. He lost to Daniil Medvedev. He ended the year ranked No. 2.

Channel Slam and Olympic Silver (2024)

Alcaraz holding the Coupe des Mousquetaires following the men's singles final at the 2024 French Open

Carlos reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the first time. He lost to Alexander Zverev.

In February, Carlos played at the Argentina Open. He had to stop playing his first match at the Rio Open due to a twisted ankle.

As defending champion at Indian Wells, Carlos returned to form. He beat Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, ending Sinner's 19-match winning streak. Carlos then beat Daniil Medvedev in the final to win his first title in eight months. At Miami, he lost in the quarterfinals. He then dropped to world No. 3.

Carlos missed some clay court tournaments due to a forearm injury. At the Madrid Open, he lost in the quarterfinals.

Carlos recovered in time for the French Open. He reached the semifinal and beat Jannik Sinner in five sets. In the final, he defeated Alexander Zverev in five sets. At 21 years old, Carlos became the youngest male player to win a major title on three different court surfaces (clay, grass, and hard court).

In July, Carlos defended his Wimbledon title. He beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Carlos became the youngest male player in the Open Era to complete the "Channel Slam." This means winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.

Alcaraz receiving his silver medal following the men's singles final at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Carlos played in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. He reached the singles final without losing a set. He lost to Djokovic in the gold medal match, earning a silver medal. He was the youngest silver medalist in men's singles.

Carlos missed the 2024 Canadian Open due to tiredness. He lost early at the 2024 Cincinnati Open. He also had an early loss at the 2024 US Open.

Carlos regained his form by winning the China Open final against Jannik Sinner. This was his third win against Sinner in 2024. He became the first player in ATP Tour history to win an ATP 500 singles title on every surface. He ended 2024 ranked No. 3.

More Major Success (2025)

Carlos started 2025 at the Australian Open. He was trying to become the youngest man to win a career Grand Slam. He lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. In February, Carlos won his first indoor hardcourt title at the Rotterdam Open.

Carlos played at Indian Wells as the two-time defending champion. He lost in the semifinals, ending his 16-match winning streak there. He then lost his first match at Miami.

Carlos won his first match at the Monte-Carlo Masters and went on to win the title. This was his sixth Masters 1000 title. He reached the final of the Barcelona Open but lost. He then won his first Italian Open title, beating world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. He became the third man to win all major clay court titles.

Carlos met Sinner again in the French Open final. Sinner had chances to win, but Carlos came back from two sets down to win the match. It was the longest French Open final ever.

Carlos won his third straight title at the Queen's Club Championships. This was his 250th tour-level victory. Carlos reached his third straight Wimbledon final. He lost to Sinner in four sets, ending his winning streaks.

Tennis Rivalries

Carlos Alcaraz vs. Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have played each other 13 times. Carlos has won 8 matches, and Sinner has won 5. One famous match was the 2022 US Open quarterfinal. Carlos won that match on his way to the title, even saving a match point.

In 2024, they played three times, and Carlos won all three. This included the final of the China Open. Sinner lost as many matches to Carlos in 2024 as he did to all other players combined.

In 2025, they played their first ATP 1000 final at the Italian Open. Carlos won, stopping Sinner's 26-match winning streak. Less than a month later, they played their first major final at the French Open. Sinner led by two sets, but Carlos came back to win. He saved three championship points in the fourth set. This was Carlos's fifth win in a row against Sinner. The match lasted over five hours and was called "one of the greatest finals ever played." At Wimbledon, they met in the final again. Sinner won this time, taking the title from Carlos.

Their matches are often very exciting and are seen as a "potentially era-defining" rivalry.

Carlos Alcaraz vs. Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic after the 2023 Wimbledon final

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have played eight times. Djokovic leads 5–3. Even with a 16-year age difference, their matches are very close.

Their first match was at the 2022 Madrid Open semifinals. Carlos won, becoming the only player to beat Nadal and Djokovic back-to-back on clay. They met again in the semifinals of the 2023 French Open. Djokovic won, but Carlos struggled with cramps during the match.

They played again in the 2023 Wimbledon final. Carlos beat Djokovic in an amazing five-set match that lasted almost five hours. One month later, they had another epic match at the 2023 Cincinnati Open final. Djokovic won in three close sets, saving a championship point. This was the longest ATP Masters final ever. They also played at the ATP Finals, where Djokovic won in straight sets.

Djokovic and Alcaraz met twice in the summer of 2024 in big finals. Carlos won easily against Djokovic in the 2024 Wimbledon final. Three weeks later, Djokovic beat Carlos in the Olympics final. Djokovic won both sets in tiebreaks.

They met once in 2025 at the Australian Open quarterfinals. Djokovic won, keeping his perfect record against Carlos on hard courts.

How Carlos Plays Tennis

Carlos Alcaraz is an all-court tennis player. This means he can play well from anywhere on the court. He mostly plays an aggressive style from the back of the court. His forehand is usually his strongest shot. He can hit it flat and fast to win points, or add a lot of spin to make it bounce high. He uses a flatter, two-handed backhand. Because he plays aggressively, Carlos often hits many winning shots but also makes some mistakes.

Carlos has a powerful first serve. It's usually around 115 to 120 miles per hour. He often adds spin to his second serve. This makes the ball bounce high, which can make it hard for opponents to return. His serve is sometimes seen as a weaker part of his game because it doesn't always go exactly where he wants it. However, he is excellent at returning serves, especially first serves.

Carlos is very good at playing close to the net. He has excellent drop volleys and drive volleys. He often serves and then runs to the net on important points. His drop shot is a key part of his game and is hard to guess. The power of his groundstrokes pushes opponents far back, making his drop shots even harder to reach. Many experts, like Andy Roddick, say Carlos's drop shot is "the best in the history of tennis."

Carlos is known for his amazing athletic skills. His fast sprints, ability to hit back strong, and very high footspeed have led to comparisons with Rafael Nadal. He has also been compared to Novak Djokovic for how well he moves side-to-side and covers the court. He can even slide on the court while defending. Like Roger Federer, his excellent touch on the ball has helped him succeed. Djokovic has said Carlos combines "the best of all three worlds" from his own game, Federer's, and Nadal's.

Carlos has a great record in five-set matches, winning 14 out of 15. This is a very high success rate. He hasn't lost a five-set match since the 2022 Australian Open. He sometimes struggles more in shorter matches. Carlos has said he plays best when he is enjoying himself on the court.

Carlos is also known for his creative play and how exciting he is to watch. He once said he wants to win, but also "to have fun, try different things, make the people enjoy watching tennis."

Coaches and Team

Carlos's first coach was Kiko Navarro. In September 2018, Carlos moved to Villena to train at the Ferrero Tennis Academy. His coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, turned down offers from other top players to coach Carlos. Their partnership has been highly praised. Ferrero won the ATP Coach of the Year Award in 2022. Carlos has called Ferrero a "second father."

In December 2024, Samuel López joined Carlos's team as a second coach. López used to be part of Ferrero's coaching team.

Carlos has kept most of the same staff since he started playing professionally. His team includes physical trainer Alberto Lledó, physiotherapist Juanjo Moreno, doctor Juanjo López, agent Albert Molina, and his brother Álvaro as his hitting partner. In 2025, his childhood friend Fran Rubio joined as an additional physiotherapist.

Off the Court

Sponsorships

Carlos is sponsored by Nike for his clothes and shoes. He uses Babolat racquets. In January 2022, Carlos became a brand ambassador for Rolex. In January 2023, he became an ambassador for Calvin Klein underwear. In June 2023, he became a brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton.

Carlos also works with Brazilian bank Itaú, Spanish skincare company Isdin, Spanish food company ElPozo, and German car maker BMW (BMW Spain). In June 2025, he became an ambassador for food company Danone and French water brand Evian.

In the Media

Carlos appeared in both seasons of Netflix's Break Point TV show. He also played against Rafael Nadal in The Netflix Slam, a live tennis match in March 2024. Carlos was the subject of the Netflix show Carlos Alcaraz: My Way, released in April 2025. This three-part series showed the challenges Carlos faced balancing his tennis goals with being a 21-year-old. Famous tennis players like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer appeared in the show.

In April 2025, The Guardian newspaper called Carlos "arguably the most interesting athlete in the world right now." He is known for his big smile and friendly personality on the court. He has also received attention for his personal life, especially his trips to Ibiza.

In 2024, Carlos broke a racket during a match for the first time. This caused a lot of media attention, and he later apologized publicly. Carlos is also known for talking openly about mental health. After a loss at the 2024 US Open, he said he felt he was "not doing well mentally." After a win in Monte Carlo in 2025, he admitted he had been "struggling stepping on the court." Many experts have praised his honesty about mental health.

Carlos has often spoken up for the well-being of professional tennis players. In 2024, he talked about how long the tennis season is and how often players get injured. In 2025, he supported another Spanish player, Sara Sorribes Tormo, who took a break for her health. He also joined other top players in asking major tournaments to share more money with all players.

Carlos is often compared to his fellow Spaniard, Rafael Nadal. When he was a teenager, people called him "baby Rafa" or "young Nadal." However, both Carlos and Nadal have said they don't like these comparisons.

Carlos was included on the Time 100 Next list in 2022.

Helping Others

In April 2024, Carlos started the Carlos Alcaraz Garfia Foundation. Its goal is to help disadvantaged children. It works with local schools in El Palmar. Carlos's foundation provided buses to help volunteers after floods in Valencia in 2024. Carlos and Ferrero also held a charity auction to raise money for those affected. In December 2024, Carlos opened an exhibition for his foundation in Murcia. It showed the importance of equal opportunities for children.

Other Sports Interests

Carlos is a big football fan and supports the Spanish club Real Madrid. He also supports other Spanish athletes, like Formula One driver Fernando Alonso and MMA fighter Ilia Topuria. Carlos enjoys playing golf and chess. In 2023, Chess.com created a special Carlos Alcaraz chess bot that users can play against.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Tournament Results

Updated through the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.

Grand Slam Finals

Singles: 6 (5 Wins, 1 Loss)

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)
Loss	2025	Wimbledon	Grass	Jannik Sinner	6–4, 4–6, 4–6, 4–6

Summer Olympics

Singles: 1 (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 and Achievements

All-Time Records

Open Era Records

• These records were achieved in the Open Era of tennis.
• Records in bold mean Carlos is the only player to have done them.

Awards and Honors

• 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
• Top ten ranked male tennis players
• List of Grand Slam men's singles champions
• World number 1 ranked male tennis players
• ATP Awards
• Tennis in Spain