Carlos Alcaraz: ‘I’m Not Special, I’ve Worked For It’ | ATP Tour

Winning a Grand Slam at 19 years of age and becoming the No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings inevitably brings with it the impression that Carlos Alcaraz is a prodigal talent, a player with a God-given gift for tennis. However, the Spaniard is quick to distance himself from labels of such magnitude.

“I’m not special, and nobody said I was going to be the best,” Alcaraz said. “I’ve worked for it.”

In an interview from New York, the youngest World No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings reveals the person hiding behind the premature success of his fledgling professional career.

You’ve said many times that your dream was to be the No. 1. Is there anything left that excites you?
Playing against Federer would excite me and beating a ‘Big Three’ player in a Grand Slam. I’ve always said that in order to be the best, you have to beat the best.

In an interview a few years ago you denied being special. Now you are breaking all the records for precocity. Do you stand by that statement or are you starting to think you do have something special?
My answer is the same. Nobody gifts you anything, I believe. You don’t just click your fingers and have the world at your feet. You have to work at things. I think what I have achieved, winning a Grand Slam and being No. 1 in the world, is because of the work I’ve been doing with my team for a very long time.

It hasn’t been a bed of roses, I’ve had to suffer and go through bad times to get here. I’m not special, and nobody said I was going to be the best, I’ve worked for it.

You always talk about your team, family, but what percentage of this success is related to your work on the mental side?
I’ve been working with a psychologist for two or three seasons, with Isabel Balaguer. She’s a great professional, one of the main reasons I am able to be No. 1 in the world today. I’ve improved so much thanks to her.

Having a mental coach is important as tennis is demanding week after week and during a whole year you have to be fresh mentally, you have to cope with the pressure, with everyone watching you and it’s important to be able to handle that. Without a psychologist, I wouldn’t say it’s impossible because nothing is, but it would be far more difficult.

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^{Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images}
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