How did Carlos Alcaraz’s love for tennis begin? Everything you need to know about the legendary man from El Palmar who made the sport famous

“Since I have tennis in my blood,“I am the boss of the tennis world! Guess who I am? Your very own Carlos Alcaraz! The boy from Murcia who has taken the tennis world by storm. At just 21 years old, I have won three Grand Slam titles on different surfaces and fulfilled many of my wildest tennis dreams. Now it’s time to aim even higher and challenge the legendary ‘Big Three’. This journey would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my family.

The Alcaraz clan has a long history in racket sports. Alcaraz’s tennis lineage goes back a long way, with its roots in the club, which offers 13 tennis and four padel courts, as well as a swimming pool, gym, basketball court and football pitch. His grandfather, also named Carlos, transformed the club from the beginning, instilling a deep tennis culture. The passion was inherited by Alcaraz’s father, who, despite his talent, could not play professional tennis due to financial constraints. Alcaraz’s father became the club’s tennis director after giving up his professional career. It took three generations for the family’s tennis dream to be fully realized, culminating in Alcaraz.

“I loved tennis from the beginning. My father gave me my first racket. And when I played tennis for the first time, I fell in love.”, Alcaraz said in an interview. One of his coaches, Kiko Navarro, said Carlos’ father once told him to look at his son. Navarro revealed that he was quite surprised by his “spectacular” skills at such a young age. “He started playing with his father, and one day his father asked me to look after him. This child was spectacular at four or five years old,” said the coach.

Club members fondly remember the young, fiery Carlitos, as he was known, during his formative years. Sarria, a long-time member, recalls a special meeting with Alcaraz’s father: “I was looking for Carlos Sr. and there I found Carlitos, who was watching a game between grandparents at the fence in third place,” he says, laughing. “He knew how they were feeling, he told them what mistakes they were making: ‘This is where you have to serve.’ He has a passion for tennis.”

Alcaraz’s remarkable shooting technique can be traced back to his father, his first coach, who gave him a solid technical foundation. However, Sarria stresses that this training method is standard at the academy. What sets Alcaraz apart is his exceptional ability to translate these techniques into game-winning performances, which saw him quickly develop an impressive arsenal. Alcaraz’s exceptional touch and range of shots can be attributed to his early development. His uncle Tomás fondly remembers taking the five-year-old to his first tournament, where he faced much older and bigger opponents. “And he almost won the game because he had the skill and the means to say, ‘I can’t win like this, I’m going to win differently.'” said Sarria.

Alcaraz feels that he is very lucky to be able to do what he loves most. Tennis gives him the chance to return the joy of someone who has contributed so much to him being where he is today. Even his current coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, once spoke about his family’s enormous contribution to his rapid rise. He said that his family even “has a very important role to play“ to keep him on the ground.

Alcaraz is grateful for the support he received from his family to reach the peak of his career

In an interview with the New York Times, the Spaniard revealed: “I think that in my family, sport is in our blood. We have all been playing since we were children.“Alcaraz owes his success to the people around him. Even his mother and brother are often seen supporting him in his games.”For me, that’s really, really important. As I said, I’m so successful in tennis because I have so many people around me.“, Alcaraz said in an interview with Tennis Channel in 2023.

Even during his recent triumph at the 2024 French Open, he paid a special tribute to his parents, who were spotted sitting in the stands of the iconic stadium. Alcaraz said it was always “Great” so that he has their support during his matches. He revealed how as a child he used to run away from school to turn on the TV and watch Roland Garros.

now he is raising the trophy in front of them all. Moments like this are truly special moments in a player’s career. Will we see a similar moment with the proud parents on Sunday (July 14) at SW19?