Carlos Alcaraz reveals who was the first ATP legend to recognize his ‘unique’ talent

Carlos Alcaraz made his ATP debut in 2020 and has since established himself among the ATP elites after winning four major titles.

Carlos Alcaraz reveals who was the first ATP legend to recognize his ‘unique’ talent

David Ferrer and Carlos Alcaraz (via X)

Carlos Alcaraz has established himself as one of the best players of his generation. The Spaniard made his ATP debut in February 2020 and has since won four Grand Slams. He recently revealed that former World No.3 David Ferrer was the first ATP player to recognize his unique talent.

On Monday (March 3), Alcaraz reached a career milestone by spending his 150th week in the ATP 10. It was also his 130th week in the Top 3. The former World No.1 is currently one of the biggest stars in tennis and he didn’t take time to make his mark. Despite just making his debut in the ATP in 2020, by 2022 he became the youngest World No.1 in the ATP history.

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That same year, he won his first Grand Slam at the US Open. He continued with the momentum in 2023 winning the Wimbledon Championship. Then, last year, he won the French Open and Wimbledon, taking his tally to four Grand Slams. But, all these would never have been achieved if hadn’t met a player who believed in his talent.

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The 21-year-old recently reflected on how he was given the chance to train with Spanish legend David Ferrer. He added that he defeated the ATP legend despite just being 15 years old.

The first one I can remember was David Ferrer. When I was 15, I had the chance to train with him. For me, Ferrer was a huge role model — not just in tennis but in sports in general. I almost beat him in that practice session, and even today, he still reminds me of that match. That was one of those moments where I thought: ‘Wow, maybe I’m really on the right path.‘

Carlos Alcaraz said via Molusco TV

Alcaraz is currently World No.3 in the ATP rankings, having left the No.1 spot in August 2023. The Spaniard now has a chance to reclaim the position with Jannik Sinner not eligible to play until May 4 due to his doping suspension.

Carlos Alcaraz reflects on when he realized he was “good” at playing tennis

Carlos Alcaraz has proven that he’s a player beyond his age. Despite being 21, he always plays with maturity and calmness which has seen him grow on the court and stand above his peers. Also, his attitude to learn from mistakes on the court has helped establish him among the ATP elites in just five years.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (via X)

During the aforementioned conversation, he narrated when he became confident of his talent. He revealed that around the age of 14 he was starting to realize that he was on the right track to become a good player.

I’d say [I realised] around the age of 14. By then, I had already competed internationally and had played in a lot of national tournaments in Spain. My results were good — I had won some tournaments and was being considered among the best in Europe. That’s when I slowly started realizing that I was on the right track, that maybe I was actually good at tennis.

Carlos Alcaraz said

Alcaraz is set to play at the Indian Wells Open which starts on March 5. The 21-year-old will open his campaign in the second round against either French Quentin Halys or a qualifier. He’s aiming to win the title for the third successive time.