Carlos Alcaraz: New Frontiers

Team Europe’s newest teammate Carlos Alcaraz has been quick to make Grand Slam history since turning pro in 2018, having lifted four major trophies at the age of 21: The US Open in 2022, Wimbledon 2023 and ’24 and Roland Garros, also in 2024.

The Spaniard joins Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as the only men to have completed the Roland Garros-Wimbledon doubles in the Open era. In September, he hopes to experience victory at Laver Cup Berlin on Captain Borg’s six-man Team Europe roster.

How it’s going
Nothing short of a victory is expected when Alcaraz plays a match. His incredible stamina, speed and inventiveness around the court have made the Spaniard a favorite against any opponent, regardless of ranking.

While the powerfully built and typically beaming Alcaraz fell short of his dream to win Olympic gold in Paris by one match this year, he did collect two more majors at Wimbledon and Roland Garros along with the ATP Masters 1000 crown at Indian Wells – his fifth career Masters overall. The 15 titles that light up Alcaraz’s CV are mostly high-rankings point scorers, ensuring ‘Carlitos’, as he is fondly called, has been a top 3 player since September 12, 2022, when he first achieved the No.1 ranking at 19 years, four months and six days old.

The motivation to play the Laver Cup
Alcaraz has enjoyed watching the Laver Cup competition on television, and is keen to experience the unique format with his rivals-turned-teammates. “I love it and I wanted to be part of it,” he said. “It’s a serious competition. I think we have to represent Europe, you know, in the best way possible. The prestige that this tournament has, and, being a Laver Cup champion is a huge thing,” he said, adding that the special quality he will bring to Team Europe is joy. “We are going to laugh a lot, I’m sure about it.”

Alcaraz thinks it might be “weird’ to spend a week with his rivals, but he intends to enjoy the moment. “Having a lot of time with them and speaking with them about something else, not only tennis, is going to be different … and I like different things.”

 Competing for Borg and before Rod Laver
Alcaraz is familiar with Rod Laver, for whom the Laver Cup is named, and appreciates everything the double calendar-year Grand Slam champion has done for tennis. “He was one of the players that bring tennis to the top of the sport,” he said.  He is also hoping to learn as much from Borg as he can in the Swede’s last year as Captain of Team Europe.

“A legend from tennis and from the sport in general,” he said. “My dad is a huge fan of him as well. So being, you know, a coach from Bjorn Borg is going to be a really important moment for me, for my career, for my life.”

Read Carlos Alcaraz’s full Team Europe profile