Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz – Spain's Tennis Superstar

The Spanish tennis professional Carlos Alcaraz Garfia, to give him his full name, broke through on the ATP Tour in 2021. At just 18 years old, he had already achieved remarkable success, such as his spectacular run to the quarter-finals of the US Open. The 1.85m right-hander with the two-handed backhand was born on 5 May 2003 in El Palmar, in the Spanish region of Murcia, and started playing tennis at the tender age of four. He is now one of the biggest names in men's tennis and has firmly established himself among the world's elite with seven Grand Slam titles and more than 20 ATP titles.

His father, also named Carlos and once ranked among the country's top 40 players, took his son under his wing right from his first steps on the tennis court. His mother Virginia, along with his three brothers Alvaro, Sergio and Jaime, also played an active part in shaping him into a successful tennis player. Much like his great idol Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz has an enormous fighting spirit that never gives up. It's no coincidence that when asked about his favorite song, he answers "Eye of the Tiger". Alongside tennis, the young Spaniard is passionate about golf and football, with Real Madrid as his favorite team.

A versatile player with a strong attacking instinct

Carlos Alcaraz's playing style is often compared, in its broad outline, to that of Roger Federer. Like the "Maestro", Alcaraz always plays in an attacking, highly versatile way, bringing the ball over the net with superior control. His forehand is – typical of his generation – extremely explosive, yet also precise and flexible. His backhand is reminiscent of that of his famous compatriot Rafael Nadal. Alcaraz has mastered the drop shot and his lob is a feared weapon. He often comes to the net to finish points quickly. Like Federer, he can shine on any surface, though – ever the Spaniard – he feels most at home on clay.

Professional debut and first successes on the ATP Tour

His results as a junior were already impressive. In 2018, Carlos Alcaraz became U-16 European champion and played a key role in Spain's junior Davis Cup victory. That same year, at just 15, he made his professional debut, while still playing mainly on the junior circuit or at Challenger tournaments. His biggest Grand Slam success as a junior was reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2019. The following year, Alcaraz played in the main draw of an ATP tournament for the first time, thanks to a wild card for the Rio Open. And he made the most of the chance straight away, beating fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos Viñolas in the first round.

In January 2021 came his Grand Slam debut. At just 17, he played the Australian Open as the youngest player in the tournament and reached the second round on his first attempt. For the Madrid Open, Alcaraz received a wild card and, with his first-round win over Adrian Mannarino, became the youngest ever match winner at Spain's most important tournament. In the second round, on his 18th birthday of all days, he had to bow out against fellow Spaniard and tennis legend Rafael Nadal. Shortly afterwards, he won the Open de Oeiras III Challenger tournament, his biggest title to date. Thanks to this success, Carlos Alcaraz entered the ATP Ranking's top 100 for the first time.

Breakthrough as a professional

At the French Open, he reached the third round and shortly after won his first title on the ATP Tour. In the final of the Plava Laguna Open in Croatia, Carlos Alcaraz beat Frenchman Richard Gasquet, becoming the youngest ATP-level title winner since Kei Nishikori in 2008. The international tennis scene's attention was firmly drawn to the young Spanish star with his blistering performances at the US Open in September 2021. After winning his first two matches, Alcaraz beat Greek world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round, in five sets.

After also winning his fourth-round match, he became the youngest US Open quarter-finalist of the Open Era and the youngest Grand Slam quarter-finalist since Michael Chang's sensational run at the French Open in 1989. At the Vienna Open, he beat Matteo Berrettini, already his second top-10 win, and climbed into the ATP Ranking's top 35 for the first time. Shortly after, he won the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan against rising star Sebastian Korda.

From first Grand Slam title to the Career Grand Slam

In 2022, Carlos Alcaraz landed his first major coup: in Miami, he claimed his first Masters title with a final win over Casper Ruud, becoming the third-youngest Masters champion ever behind Michael Chang and Rafael Nadal. With his subsequent triumph in Barcelona, Alcaraz also entered the world's top 10 for the first time, the youngest player in this elite circle since Nadal. But the highlight of the year was still to come: at the US Open, the young Spaniard reached his first Grand Slam final after three dramatic consecutive five-set wins, and triumphed once again over Casper Ruud. This victory not only secured his first Grand Slam title, but also made him the youngest US Open champion since Pete Sampras in 1990, as well as the youngest world number one in history.

In 2023, Alcaraz continued his winning run, claiming his second Grand Slam title in the Wimbledon final – his opponent was none other than Novak Djokovic. In 2024 came the next major milestone: Alcaraz crowned himself the new king of the French Open in Paris, beating Alexander Zverev in the final to claim his third Grand Slam title. His dominance continued at Wimbledon, where he successfully defended his title, again beating Djokovic. Against that same opponent, however, Alcaraz came off second best a few weeks later in the final of the Paris Olympics, having to settle for the silver medal.

In 2025, Alcaraz fought thrilling battles with his great rival Jannik Sinner: he won the longest French Open final in history, had to accept defeat a month later in the Wimbledon final, and crowned the season with wins in Cincinnati and at the US Open – both against Sinner. In doing so, he returned to the top of the world rankings and claimed his fifth and sixth Grand Slam titles.

The 2026 season began for Alcaraz with a historic achievement: with his Australian Open title win over Novak Djokovic, he completed the Career Grand Slam as the youngest player in history to do so up to that point. A wrist injury sustained later in the season temporarily slowed him down, though it did nothing to diminish his exceptional standing in men's tennis.

Carlos Alcaraz's tennis racket

Since his US Open title in 2022, Carlos Alcaraz has relied on the Babolat Pure Aero 98 as his tennis racket – a model that, unlike many custom-built frames used by other top professionals, is available almost unchanged off the shelf. This control-oriented tennis racket from the Pure Aero family stands out with its compact 98-square-inch head, a dense 16x20 string pattern, and integrated flax fibres that provide a particularly solid feel at the point of contact. Combined with the aerodynamically shaped frame construction, this tennis racket delivers the enormous racket head speed that makes Alcaraz's explosive forehand and high spin levels possible.

For the 2025 season, Alcaraz made small, targeted adjustments to his tennis racket: the unstrung weight is now 310 grams, the balance point 31.6cm, and the swing weight 295 – making his tennis racket unusually light compared to the frames used by almost all top players. It's strung with Babolat RPM Blast, though Alcaraz has at times switched to the slightly more arm-friendly RPM Team due to recurring arm problems; he typically strings the mains tighter than the crosses to generate extra spin. In 2023, Alcaraz extended his partnership with Babolat until at least 2030 – proof of just how much trust he places in his equipment supplier.

Carlos Alcaraz's tennis gear – order online at Tennis-Point!

Every tennis player knows that success on court isn't just about hard training and a positive mindset. The right tennis outfit and the right tennis shoes also play an important role – and here, Carlos Alcaraz relies entirely on Nike. At Tennis-Point, you too can experience the outstanding quality of Carlos Alcaraz's tennis products and order them online at thoroughly fair prices. And should the rackets, strings or outfits from our tennis online shop ever fail to meet your expectations, you can rely fully on our 30-day money-back guarantee. Enjoy browsing!