SUMMARY
- Carlos Alcaraz is a two-time Grand Slam champion who always has a smile on his face.
- The young Spaniard was quite different as a child prodigy, though.
Carlos Alcaraz is one of the most exciting players on tour at present. In addition to possessing genuinely jaw-dropping prowess with a racket, Alcaraz has won over fans with his smile. Carlos has already carved a niche for himself among the best in the business. As delightful and charming as the Spaniard is to watch while he plays now, he did not start that way.
Carlos’ first coach, Kiko Navarro, spilled the beans on the two-time Grand Slam champion. The 20-year-old brings positivity with him to the court, whenever he is playing. However, Navarro revealed that, as a child, Alcaraz did not enjoy himself when things got difficult for him. The youngster was often reduced to tears, and his father had to step in to calm him down.
Kiko divulged that Carlos broke his rackets now and then when his anger got the best of him. It was something Alcaraz had to work on since such negative emotions often lead to detriment.
Alcaraz is different now, and he genuinely enjoys the game. Moreover, his positivity is something that even his colleagues look up to and try to emulate.
Alcaraz also acknowledged that he has matured a lot over the years and is trying to manage his emotions better now. “I have matured, I have also been working on knowing how to manage my emotions and when I knew how to control and manage them in a good way, that is when I started to enjoy and smile on the court,” he said (via The Daily Express).
Even though Carlos Alcaraz has come a long way since then, he does struggle with bouts of anger. He has a better handle on his temper now than he did as a child.
Carlos Alcaraz is still prone to emotional outbursts
Alcaraz is a special talent, and despite still being in the early days of his career, he has etched his name in history. Like every athlete, Carlos also experiences frustrations, and sometimes they boil over. There have been instances where Alcaraz gave in to his anger. He has thrown his racket in frustration quite a few times and even injured himself in the process.
When Carlos took on Emil Ruusuvuori at the Madrid Open, he could not find his rhythm against the Finn. When Emil claimed the first set, Alcaraz threw his racket on the ground.
A rare racket throw by Carlitos 😳#MMOpen pic.twitter.com/vx81C3wnwJ
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 28, 2023
The Spaniard has forged an epic rivalry with Novak Djokovic. After their historic Wimbledon clash, they locked horns again at the Cincinnati Open final. It turned out to be a three-set thriller, with Djokovic clinching the title. Alcaraz burst into tears as he lost, but he managed to compose himself.
Carlos took the first set, though, proving why he is one of the rising stars of the ATP. Djokovic dug deep to claim the next set. Alcaraz was visibly annoyed, and he struck his chair repeatedly with his right hand. He injured his hand in the process, and the physio had to tape his finger.
😳😳 pic.twitter.com/ZJgL5odkkI
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 20, 2023
Carlos Alcaraz is truly a talented star and the future of tennis. Like every athlete, he will feel anger and frustration and sometimes let the negative emotions wash over him. As he matures even more, he will also be able to control his emotions better.
