Carlos Alcaraz stresses the importance of having ‘things’ outside of tennis

Carlos Alcaraz will hope to join an elite list by winning his third consecutive Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells.

Carlos Alcaraz stresses the importance of having ‘things’ outside of tennis

Carlos Alcaraz (via X)

Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz is considered one of the biggest names in tennis right now. The former World No. 1 has won four Grand Slam titles and is already part of the all-time greats discussion, despite being only 21 years old.

In a recent interview, Alcaraz emphasized the importance of activities outside of tennis. The Spaniard is a sports fanatic in general, as seen last year when he played golf with former World No. 1 Andy Roddick in the United States. He enjoys having hobbies that help him disconnect from tennis for a short while.

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For me, it’s great to have things to do outside of tennis, to take your mind off things, to forget about tennis. Sometimes the pressure is there, and for me, playing golf or doing other things helps me a lot to forget about the tournament a little bit. For me, that’s really important, and then to show good tennis on the court. That’s why this tournament is one of my favorites, because I can play golf there (smiles). With my team, with my family, I’m lucky to be able to take a lot of people, a lot of family with me to the tournaments. That helps me feel at home a lot. So for me, it’s great to have those things at a tournament.

Carlos Alcaraz said in his press conference

Alcaraz recently won the Rotterdam Open, which was the first indoor title of his career. As a result, the 21-year-old put his disappointing Australian Open campaign behind him, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.

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Now, he hopes to win Indian Wells, where he is the two-time defending champion. Ironically, Indian Wells was the only Masters 1000 title he won in the entire 2024 season.

Carlos Alcaraz searching for history at Indian Wells

Carlos Alcaraz is aiming to make history at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. If he wins the ATP Masters 1000 title for the third time in a row, he will join Roger Federer (2004-06) and Novak Djokovic (2014-16) as the only men to do so. As he prepares for the 2025 tournament, fans are eager to see how he performs.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (via Instagram)

In 2023, Alcaraz had to miss the Australian Open due to an injury. During this time, Djokovic took back the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings. Alcaraz came to Indian Wells determined to prove himself. He played incredibly well, winning the title without losing a single set, despite the windy conditions.

His most impressive win came in the final against Daniil Medvedev. Alcaraz won 6-3, 6-2, ending Medvedev’s 19-match winning streak. After winning the Miami Open the year before, Alcaraz became the youngest player to achieve the “Sunshine Double,” winning both Indian Wells and Miami.

Now 21, Alcaraz is back at Indian Wells in 2025 as the two-time defending champion. Another win would make him a three-time champion, just like Rafael Nadal. Alcaraz enters the tournament with an 11-2 record for the season, hoping to bounce back from his quarter-final losses to Jiri Lehecka in Doha and Djokovic at the Australian Open. Fans are excited to see if he will face Djokovic again at Indian Wells.