Carlos Alcaraz grew up in a small village in Spain called El Palmar and had a dream of becoming a great tennis player, so he quit school early. In 2018, the Spanish young star turned pro but had to wait patiently and train hard to earn his first ATP trophy at the Croatian Open.
Last year, he became the youngest player to be the season’s year-ending No. 1, at just 19. American legend John McEnroe has revealed that Carlos Alcaraz is one in a billion and urged young athletes to be disciplined and go to college while pursuing their dreams.
John McEnroe explains what kids should really focus on
John McEnroe, who won 77 titles in singles and doubles, set up his own academy in Manhattan, New York City in 2010, and has always been persistent about the danger of burning out a young player’s passion for the sport. He has been one of the biggest supporters of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, seeing them as the future of tennis.
In a recent interview with Smartless Podcast John McEnroe admitted that based on his observations Carlos Alcaraz is one in a billion star player and also urged young athletes to go to college: “I grew up in Queens. The best thing that ever happened to me was not going to a Nick Bollettieri-style camp. I would’ve quit the game at 16 or 17. I love to play other sports.”
“All studies show, both physically & mentally, it’s healthier for kids to play other sports. This idea that you’ve got to go all in soccer or basketball is a bunch of, can you say bull***t on this, its total BS. Tennis players are peaking later than they ever did. I think college is an experience that not only do you get to play as a team potentially if you’re in a sport, but you get to grow up a little bit & also have some fun before you work your way into a profession, and you’ll be more prepared to handle it.”
“So I completely disagree with what academies do most often. For every person you hear that succeeds, there’s a million that don’t. Not everyone’s Carlos Alcaraz, he’s one in a billion. He’s just a freak. He’s an incredible player, but most kids have no business doing that.”
Carlos Alcaraz has won six titles this season, including his stunning Wimbledon victory in July Unfortunately he has since then endured a difficult run of form. The 20-year-old has reached one final in six events and recently suffered shocking early exits in Shanghai Masters and suffered a straight-set defeat to Roman Safiullin in his opening match at the Rolex Paris Masters.
Carlos Alcaraz’s rise in the sport of tennis
Carlos Alcaraz kicked form in 2021, after winning his first ATP 250 title at the Croatia Open in Umag. The Spanish star went on to win his first ATP 1000 Masters in Miami the following year. He took over from his fellow compatriot and legend Rafael Nadal and won the Barcelona Open and Madrid Masters in 2022 and 2023. In September last year, the youngster turned famous after winning his first Grand Slam at the US Open in New York.
This season, Alcaraz won his first title at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires and went on to win the Indian Wells Masters. In July, the Spaniard won his second Grand Slam title in Wimbledon after defeating Novak Djokovic in an epic five-set thriller that lasted up to four hours.
