Fresh off winning the Australian Open, Carlos Alcaraz is on a mission to attract more people to tennis by producing a game style he hopes will change the minds of those who think the sport is boring.
On Sunday, the Spaniard became the youngest male player in history to win a career slam after beating Novak Djokovic in four sets at Melbourne Park. The 22-year-old currently has seven major titles to his name and 25 overall on the ATP Tour. His other achievements include more than 50 Tour-level wins over top-10 players, becoming the second player from his country to hold the No. 1 ranking for more than 50 weeks (after Rafael Nadal) and winning 15 out of 16 five-set matches he has played.
Alcaraz is without a doubt on a trajectory to become one of the heavyweights of the Open Era, but admits he still has a long way to go to be considered a legend of the sport. What is important to him at the moment is trying to promote tennis to a wider audience, which he hopes to achieve by ‘trying something different.’
“I do think I convey something different, or at least that’s what I’ve heard.” Spanish newspaper Marca quoted Alcaraz as saying.“We try to give people something they’re not used to. I’m not referring so much to titles or matches won, but rather to seeing tennis in a different way.
“There are many fans who are used to seeing the game in one way, and I try to give them something different so that those who find it boring or have never been attracted to tennis will get hooked. That’s what I like, and it’s my way of understanding it and my way of enjoying it.
“But this has to continue over the years for me to be considered a legend.”
The showdown between Alcaraz and Djokovic proved to be a massive hit for Australian TV. According to the Nine Network, it attracted a Total TV Reach of 6.302 million and a National Total TV audience of 3.448 million. A staggering 67% increase on the figures from last year.
Besides hoping to inspire others, Alcaraz also shed light on the personal satisfaction winning the Australian Open has given him after being criticised by some in recent weeks following changes in his team. During the off-season, he announced a surprise split with Juan Carlo Ferrero after working with him since the age of 15. His main coach is now Samuel Lopez, with Alcaraz’s brother, Álvaro, set to take a more prominent role this season.
“When I came to the tournament ( Australian Open), I wasn’t thinking about those people.” He explained.
“But, obviously, I saw comments and people giving their views and opinions. In the end, both criticism and praise are welcome. You have to take it in a good way.
“It’s true that once I won the title, I thought about those who said I wouldn’t be able to do it, that I would hurt myself, that I wouldn’t play good tennis, or who were even hoping I would lose early so they could criticize me and continue to give their point of view.
“I remembered that at that moment, but I didn’t do it to prove anything or to make them realize they were wrong, I just did it for myself.”
After conquering Melbourne, Alcaraz has opted to take a longer break from the Tour than initially scheduled. On Monday, he withdrew from the Rotterdam Open, which will get underway next week.
“The two weeks in Melbourne have been very intense, of many emotions, mentally demanding, and we will try to recover the best we can to continue competing. At the moment, I want to stop, get home, rest and see how my body and mind respond in the next few days.” He concluded.
