Carlos Alcaraz Discusses Comparisons to Rafael Nadal, Ibiza Getaways, and Managing Expectations

So there’s this moment, picture it—Alcaraz, tears in his eyes, reliving that total meltdown after losing to Gael Monfils in Cincinnati. I mean, haven’t we all just wanted to chuck something in sheer frustration? Yup, he absolutely smashes his racquet. And he’s like, “I wasn’t mentally tough enough. The stress just ate me up. I actually questioned if I needed to quit tennis or if my passion for it had fizzled.” Whew! Can you imagine?

Then he dives into how the 2023 French Open semi-final loss to Djokovic hit him hard. Instead of sulking, he jets off to Ibiza. And get this—his plan was to pretty much lose himself in that party scene. “I figured, might as well go all out, ‘cause who knows when the next chance will pop up,” he laughs. Crazy thing? When he came back, he smashed it at Queen’s and Wimbledon. So maybe drowning your sorrows isn’t the worst idea? Unclear. But that break clearly did something good.

But then, ah, Ibiza strikes again. Against all advice—like, from his agent Albert Molina Lopez and his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero—he heads back there the next year. Surprise, surprise, he crashes out early at Queen’s to Jack Draper. Maybe it was karma, or jet lag? Your guess is as good as mine. Of course, he rebounds and beats Djokovic at Wimbledon that year anyway because why wouldn’t he, right?

Ferrero seems like this reluctantly exasperated mentor kind of character, being like, “Look, we’re building a champion here,” he stresses. “But if Alcaraz is cool just chilling at number 15, well, we can adjust.” Love a coach who’s upfront. Though Ferrero adds, in a way that screams tough love, that sticking around if the motivation isn’t there might be a no-go for him.

And then, Alcaraz, deep in thought, goes, “Do I have what it takes to go down in history as the greatest? Heck if I know. I’m still just a kid in the big scheme of things. I’ve seen enough to know I’d rather be happy than chase some accolade.” Gives you a bit of a perspective, doesn’t it? Happiness, turns out, isn’t just this easy-peasy ordeal. We’re all trying to figure it out, one win, one loss, one holiday at a time.