“I Was Happy”- Carlos Alcaraz Breaks From the Mold With Surprising Truth About His Ranking Mindset

“My dream in tennis right now is to become one of the best players in history,” Carlos Alcaraz said back in May 2023. And, ever since the 21-year-old Spaniard has shown that he is not willing to settle for anything but greatness. Since joining the ATP Tour at the age of 16, Alcaraz has enjoyed one of the most dazzling careers in the history of the sport. The youngster from El Palmar, Murcia, has already won 17 tournaments, including 4 Grand Slam triumphs, and has spent 36 weeks at the No. 1 position in the ATP rankings. This early success brings additional pressure, but Alcaraz has turned this pressure into privilege. Is he obsessed with becoming the best in the world?

As Carlos Alcaraz approaches his 22nd birthday, Netflix is set to release a documentary miniseries on him named My Way. The Spaniard’s incredible achievements in the last few years have put him in a position where he is compared to the Big 3, but what are his own thoughts about being labeled as the best in the world? In a recent interview with GQ España, Alcaraz said, “I’m not obsessed with being the best in the world. I was number one a few years ago, and I was happy. Now I’m number three, and I’m equally happy. And I’m enjoying the journey, the sport, and life.“

Can he reach the level of the Big 3? To that, the Spaniard responded, “I’m not obsessed. I’ve always said I’d like to be the best in history and sit at the Big Three’s table, but those are big words, not an obsession. And I always say I’d like to be remembered as an inspiration to the little ones, and as someone who had fun doing what he loved most, with a smile on his face and making people enjoy themselves.”

Just a few days ago, Alcaraz gave an interview to Louis Vuitton where he highlighted the qualities of the Big 3 that he wanted to emulate. “I think the most important thing is being kind, being a good person.” Alcaraz further stressed the importance of behaving well both on and off the court in order to create a good influence for the next generation.

“When I see some players being so rude, I feel like, ‘What happened with this guy?’ When I see one of my idols, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer… you know, being so kind all the time, and performing pretty well on the court…When I started, I felt they were such great guys for me. I was, ‘Okay, I really want to be like these guys’, and I want to be the same for the kids,” he added.

Tennis – Madrid Open – Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain – May 1, 2024 Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his quarter final match against Russia’s Andrey Rublev REUTERS/Susana Vera

Despite his eagerness to follow in the footsteps of the Big 3, Carlos Alcaraz‘s recent drop in form has drawn criticism from several quarters. Citing Alcaraz’s inconsistency, the German ex-pro Andrea Petkovic recently said that the new generation is not quite as solid as the Big 3. “I’m sorry, I have to say it, it’s true. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz kept a veil in front of our eyes…(Jannik) Sinner is not there, he’s suspended, and Alcaraz lost early, and you can throw a dart blindfolded at a dartboard and see what sticks,” Petkovic said.

Alcaraz’s early exit from the Miami Open has raised eyebrows, but he still has a win percentage of 78.9 this season, which is, in fact, the second-best on the ATP Tour this season. What do other tennis experts have to say about all this criticism surrounding Alcaraz’s inconsistencies?

Has Jannik Sinner’s absence from the Tour helped fuel more criticism towards Carlos Alcaraz?

Talking about his sudden drop in performance level in Miami, Carlos Alcaraz recently revealed that the pressure to reclaim the world number-one spot from Jannik Sinner has left a negative impact on his form this season. The French ex-pro Giles Simon echoed that sentiment, saying that the absence of “more consistent” Sinner over the last few months has drawn more criticism towards Alcaraz.

“Today, the two players that could be in this way are Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Jannik is more consistent, and this is why he is at this ranking, I don’t think he’s a better tennis player – I just think he’s more consistent. The ranking is over one year, and he doesn’t have these up and downs that Carlos can have. We all know if they play at their highest level, both of them, we are not sure that Jannik is going to win. Carlos is a bit more up and down. Jannik is not here at the moment, so if Carlos is a bit down, we feel like he disappeared or it’s a big mess, or like the tour looks like nothing, and it’s a different winner every week,” Simon said.

Both Sinner and Alcaraz won two major titles each last year. The Italian clinched a total of eight titles last year and ended the season as the world number one, while Alcaraz won four titles and finished the year as number 3. After Sinner’s 3-month suspension was announced back in February, several fans and experts thought Alcaraz would reclaim his number-one spot, but that hasn’t been the case so far!

However, Simon believes Carlos Alcaraz is a “top player” and he’ll get back to his best soon. But what does Alcaraz himself have to say about the recent criticism? “I don’t think that is fair,” Carlitos says. He believes the Tour has become increasingly competitive and it’s not easy to dominate every tournament. Do you feel the same? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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