[optimistic music playing]
OLYMPIC GAMES JULY 2024
SPAIN
[Carlos] We're staying here. Uh…
Here is where… we spend very little time,
but it's where the physical therapists treat us.
This was the living room. Well, this is what we have.
Here's a TV because we watch all of Team Spain's matches
and other sports when we can make time.
And… nothing. Here, we left some of the stuff,
of Rafa's stuff out here so they don't make our bedrooms crowded
because… you'll see. Then there's upstairs.
Well, there it is.
Let's close the bathroom door.
Rafa's here. Rafa and Munar.
And here's where I stay, with Pedrito.
These are my… my things.
Well, what I could bring.
I sleep here. Pedro sleeps there.
Shit.
It's cardboard.
The mattress is small, so sometimes, when I turn,
I might… well, possibly fall down. [chuckles]
But, man, truth is we sleep wherever, so we're fine with it.
We can snooze anywhere.
[pensive music playing]
[Carlos] For me, it was a dream come true to represent Spain in the Olympics
and, obviously, uh…
it was even better 'cause I was playing with Rafa.
My first games and his last ones.
It… it would be incredible, uh… possibly winning the gold with Rafa.
CARLOS ALCARAZ MY WAY
[upbeat electronic music playing]
- Go here? - No, come here.
- This way? - Over here?
It's up. It's up. Go up. Yeah, yeah. The following.
- Yeah, try going in there. - Ah, yes, yes.
You'd know better than me.
[reporter 1] One of the greatest moments in Olympic history.
The doubles team who'll take over tennis, Rafa Nadal and Carlitos Alcaraz.
[reporter 2] They'll be one of the teams representing Spain.
We're in for a show.
[grunting]
- [fan 1] You're the best! - [fan 2] Let's go! Let's go!
[fan 3] You're the best!
QUARTERFINALS MEN'S DOUBLES
4 HOURS BEFORE
[indistinct chatter]
[Nadal] Winner gets 15 euros, second place gets five.
- Two losers pay ten. Get it? - For sure.
Yeah, Parcheesi is a sacred game for him.
I like to joke a lot about it.
"Rafa, the world champion of Parcheesi is right here, huh?"
"It's me. Don't get it twisted."
He's like, "What? You're just a newbie. Beginner's luck."
[Moyá] Roll the dice. You're up, bro.
[Ferrer] You were lucky there. That wasn't so bad. Not bad at all.
Ah, shit!
This kid, man. You won't let up with those five,
but telling you right now, you're not gonna win.
[laughter]
[Ferrer] At least not at Parcheesi.
Rafa has gotten to where he is because he's focused on winning.
He doesn't like losing, even at Parcheesi. It's true.
[Moyá] This move doesn't fail. Focused throw.
[laughter]
- [Carlos] Ah! - [Moyá] Yes!
Serves him right.
The rivalry that they generate in an easy game of Parcheesi,
it's as if they were actually after a win at the Grand Slam.
- [Carlos] A win is coming. - It's coming, I'm telling you.
[Ferrer] He's gonna do it.
- Shit! - [Ferrer] No way!
- Damn, dude. What a joke, man. - [Carlos] Let's go!
[Ferrer] No, no!
And it was boom, and I won.
- [Ferrer] No way. - [Moyá] Shit, man.
- [Ferrer] Holy shit. - [Carlos] I'm the winner.
[Nadal] Parcheesi is game of luck, and we played just one game.
Had we played a hundred more games, hey, he would've lost much more than me.
QUARTERFINALS
[intense music playing]
[Carlos] Playing with Rafa is something I'll always tackle with pride and passion.
I would give my whole entire life trying to ensure
that his last Olympic Games see him go out in the best possible way.
- [cheering] - [Lledó] All right, let's go!
Let's go.
Go out with a medal, you know? He deserves it.
- [cheering and applause] - [commentator] Here they come.
"Nadalcaraz," Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal.
[Molina] Everyone just assumed
that Rafa and Carlos were going to win the gold medals.
This, for Carlos, it caused an incredible amount of pressure.
[expectant music playing]
[grunting]
[cheering and applause]
[Nadal] Neither he nor I typically play doubles,
and it was the first time we played together.
[cheering and applause]
[Nadal] Carlos was obviously nervous to be playing in his first Olympic Games.
That day, we didn't play well
and found ourselves playing against opponents who were particularly inspired.
In the end, we hesitated a lot, and they got the best of us, really.
We weren't comfortable. We weren't playing with ease.
[applause]
[crowd] Oh!
[Molina] They were facing two American players
who were experts at playing tennis as doubles and lost the match sadly.
- [somber music playing] - [cheering and applause]
[Carlos] And it screwed with me, screwed me up,
because for that excitement to just fade away like that,
I, um… for the possibility to just not exist was… brutal.
That hurt me. I mean, it broke my heart.
[Ferrer] Yesterday, you played doubles. You gave it your all.
- You played a hard match. - Doesn't make sense.
There's no excuse. Yeah, yeah.
Be proud of yourself, okay?
[Nadal] It was, uh… painful for me
because I think it was my last shot at a medal.
Winning a medal with him would've been very meaningful.
[sighs] Agh… But it wasn't meant to be.
Opportunities that pass you by are very difficult, all very difficult.
We trained really hard for this.
[Nadal] At that moment, I thought, "He can't allow himself to lose faith,"
because he had a major challenge ahead of him in singles.
to go and get a gold medal for himself.
[suspenseful music playing]
And, well, I told Carlos already that if he made it to the finals,
it was gonna happen, then…
[Ferrero] He didn't seem upset.
I asked him, and he said he was okay, that he was prepared.
Obviously it bothered him a lot
that he lost the match with… with Rafa at doubles,
but now he was mainly focused on the singles match,
and… and he was at top performance.
On a tactical level, intrinsic level, you know him.
What we have to get ahead of is what he consistently does.
When he goes near the net, remember, parallel smash.
When you're near the alley, try to hit more parallel shots.
Go for them. Don't hold back. Leave it on the court.
You'll regret it if you don't. Don't hold back.
Break through limitations.
You have two tree trunks for legs down there, eh?
Mentally show up for this. Show up for it, and go after it.
Come on.
[cheering]
[tense music playing]
[indistinct]
[Ferrero] The hardest part in the final was Novak Djokovic.
Especially after his incredible Wimbledon showing,
which was impressive.
[Carlos] I knew that Djokovic was gonna play at his top level, obviously,
because it was his last chance to win the Olympics,
which was all that mattered to him in that moment.
[cheering]
Novak came into those finals only focused on winning,
and he pushed like a kid in his twenties.
[cheering]
[Ferrero] It was a hard-fought match.
Carlos was getting more and more nervous as time went on.
- [cheering] - [indistinct]
[indistinct]
[foreboding music playing]
[Ferrero] Giving that extra weight to winning that medal
prevented him from playing at 100%.
- [cheering] - [music fades]
That moment was super difficult and painful for me. It was hard.
Uh… The truth is that… [sighs]
Give me a sec.
It's okay.
Take your time. Take your time, Carlitos. Take your time.
All right.
[cheering and applause]
All right, yeah.
[emotional music playing]
[Molina] Carlos struggled with that.
Exhaustion was taking its toll. All those matches.
That week, he had singles, doubles,
and that day, uh…
Carlos hit rock bottom.
[cheering and applause]
Then we had that episode in Cincinnati.
AUGUST 2024
[umpire] Thirty-fifteen.
- Point, Monfils. - [audience reacting]
[brooding music playing]
I exploded.
I wasn't in the right mindset to sustain that,
much less endure that.
I didn't know what I needed. I was a bit lost.
I don't know if… if… if I needed to stop playing.
I didn't know if the magic was lost.
Plus I thought, "Man, for me to feel that way and end up playing so bad,
maybe it'd be better to just give up on tennis altogether.
[Álvaro] That day, he broke. He just exploded.
Especially because of how he did it. He had so much anger.
He was riddled with anxiety,
He took it out on the racket, hit it three or four times really hard.
He had a really hard time.
I called him to see if he wanted to shoot some hoops, calm down.
We talked about it and spent some time together as brothers talking.
Because it's not good that he locks himself in his room to overthink.
He'll start rewatching it on his phone
and the clip, and it's just going to be everywhere.
[reporter 1] We've never seen him like that. Alcaraz lost his cool
in the match…
[reporter 2] Don't remember having ever seen him like this,
in such a rage-filled tone, ever.
[reporter 3] He showed us an easily baited Alcaraz
who lost himself when he lost…
[reporter 4] The tennis player apologized for his attitude.
Yeah. [chuckles softly]
That was… that was a difficult moment, truly.
It was… very difficult.
[dramatic music pounding]
AUGUST 2024
[announcer] And from Spain,
2022 US Open Champion,
Carlos Alcaraz.
[Carlos] After Cincinnati, I wanted to get better,
almost come face to face with the US Open,
which is a tournament that matters.
But, um… I couldn't make it there either.
Looking for me?
Oh, Charlie. No way!
- I can't believe it. - Come on, let's go.
[umpire] Game, set, match, Van de Zandschulp.
[commentator] To win like the greats, you have to rise to the occasion.
Van de Zandschulp did just that. It was clearly not Carlos's day.
[uneasy music playing]
There are days, in my head, there's a… a…
It's like there's… a puzzle in my head I can't manage to solve,
that I can't quite wrap my head around. I want this, I want that.
And, sometimes, I don't know what's the truth,
and I'm not sure what I want.
It brings a lot of anxiety,
makes me nervous, and I don't know how to fix it.
I don't know how to do that.
[cheering]
[umpire] Game, set, and match, Sinner, the new champion.
Yannick didn't play in the Olympics. That gave him more room,
and he came prepared for it, prepared to win a US Open title.
[woman] Your 2024 US Open Men's Champion, Jannik Sinner!
We won, 2024, two Slams each.
But every season can change so quickly.
Let's see what's coming in the future. You never know.
After the US Open, I didn't wanna touch the racket.
I said, "Man, I'm not even wanting to think about tennis
for maybe the next week and a half to two weeks."
[Ferrero] I told him that… that since the French Open,
we hadn't had time to train.
He said, "Look, man, I need to go to Formula 1,"
and I said, "Carlos, man, not now for Formula 1."
But he didn't give me a choice.
He just said plainly, "I'm going to go. This is how it is."
In the end, I think that, to be the best in history,
you're bound to it.
If not, might… might have to accept that you aren't going to get there,
won't be your best self.
[serene music playing]
[cheering]
[fan] Carlos! [screams]
SEPTEMBER 2024
[Carlos] I really needed those three days. I disconnected
and tried to forget about all that had happened.
Then in Laver, something different helped me a lot in the moment.
The Laver Cup is a team tournament
in which Europe and the rest of the world play.
[McEnroe] Uh, the Laver Cup was the easiest job offer I ever accepted.
Roger Federer was part of this.
And then I look at the other side of the net, I look over there,
and it's my greatest rival
and one of my best friends, Björn Borg, there, so I'm like…
I'm just happy because this is my last time in Laver Cup.
And Federer, to see him
and spend time with him, it's… it's a big pleasure for me.
- Have you spoken to Federer? - No, I haven't been able to yet.
Uh… the truth is that, when he was warming up,
I was around by the court lockers,
and then, when I was warming up with physio,
I didn't get a chance.
But I really hope I'm able to see him very soon.
The Laver's a competition that… that I'm pretty excited about,
and, obviously, I knew I'd see Federer. [chuckles]
That was, um… an additional motivator for me.
[upbeat funky music playing]
[Molina] When you see Roger, you always see him playing with a presence
that previous players didn't have.
It was effortless.
[cheering]
Roger is my handbook for tennis.
His technique… He knows how to use his poise, his elegance.
[cheering]
I can't imagine anyone else making it look so easy
without breaking a sweat.
[music fades]
[crowd] Oh!
- [cheering] - [funky music resumes]
[Navrátilová] He makes it look easy.
He's such an artist on the court, and elegant and athletic at the same time.
A class act all the way through.
He's very different from anyone else,
and I tend to, uh… mostly feel that I'm like that.
[music fades]
[Moreno] Good job. Twist back. Keep going.
[gentle music playing]
[Molina] He'll be here soon, okay? Almost here.
[Lledó] One more, one more.
[cheering]
[fans screaming]
[Federer] I barely know Carlos.
I've only practiced one time, you know, in the past with him.
I basically never saw Carlos again until this week.
[fan] Oh my God!
How are you? Hey, nice to see you at the Laver Cup.
- How was your warm-up? - It was pretty good.
- Ready? - I'm ready.
I'm ready to show some ball skills.
Yeah, exactly. I'm excited to see you play, finally.
Let's see. Yeah, yeah.
No, but thank you for coming to the Laver Cup.
It means a lot to us,
and wish you all the best and incredible success.
- Well done. - Thanks.
- The way you did it as well. - Thank you.
- Fantastic. - Thank you very much.
- Let's see on court. - Yes, absolutely. Good luck, man.
[cheering]
[fan] Come here! Come say hello!
Now I got… I got the magic. I got the magic!
Yeah!
It's there, it's there.
Carlos finally is playing at the Laver Cup,
and he seems to me like a happy man. You know, like a kid in the candy store?
[Carlos] To have had role models like Roger, like Rafa
has had incredible impact, you know?
But for the next generation coming up, it's huge pressure, you know?
Because ultimately, people expect you to achieve what they did,
and that's brutal because, shit,
those guys are out of this world, you know?
- [upbeat music playing] - [cheering]
[announcer] Welcome to the Laver Cup, Carlos Alcaraz!
The Big Three, these are one of the craziest stats
in the history, by far, of our sport.
Reaching them is… it is all consuming.
You need to just be hyper focused all the time.
[Borg] Just focus what you're doing.
I mean, outside the court, that's up to you,
but still, he should focus on his tennis.
[Muguruza] You have to eat, sleep, breathe tennis
until you get to a point where it's quite unbearable to maintain it,
and aspiring to that is already… unprecedented.
To actually achieve what Novak or Roger or I have managed to,
you have to feel like everything you're sacrificing in the end is worth it.
If you feel like you're sacrificing too much, uh…
it's guaranteed you won't make it because, in the end,
you'll eventually burn out too early.
[cheering]
[dramatic music pounding]
[haunting vocals playing]
- Very nice to see you. - How are you?
Yeah, incredible.
Hey, look at this. Old school.
Do I have to charge the flash? No.
- [shutter clicks] - [Federer laughs]
It went so quick! This is very old school.
You probably don't even remember this. [laughs]
Honestly, I… I don't.
[laughter]
- CD. He might even not know what a CD… - VHS? You know VHS?
- CDs. - [man] CDs might be…
- I know… I… I… I know them. - [man] You've seen CDs.
Yeah, yeah. I've seen. I've seen.
I've been lucky to be able to pick up on things from each of them.
It'd be difficult not to learn from some of the best of all time.
Rafa Nadal to Roger Federer.
And I asked him what he did
to maintain his motivation for so long,
year after year after year,
and he told me that I have to make life more enjoyable,
that you have to somehow find enjoyment
in every tournament you get to attend,
make friends, find things to do.
Go see films, go…
always find something to do that brings you happiness wherever you go.
Absolutely, I'll watch. Absolutely. Again.
Again, again!
Again! Jesus, it's been too long.
[Federer] The compatible life is a tricky one, right?
You wanna be everywhere, but you can't be.
It's… it's definitely very challenging trying to put it…
put the puzzle all together,
but important is just sometimes to take a break, get away from it all
so when you do come, you're actually excited to be in the limelight again.
[expectant music playing]
[reporter 1] Good evening. The news that has broken the heart
of everyone in Spain.
[reporter 2] The greatest athlete in the country's history.
[reporter 3] What a career it's been, spanning over 23 years.
[reporter 4] 22 Grand Slams, 14 French Opens.
[reporter 5] "Everything that has a beginning has an end."
He's announced retirement. Rafa Nadal.
[announcer] We're about to begin a special ceremony
to honor the extraordinary career of Rafa Nadal.
- [cheering and applause] - Thank you.
[Carlos] The person who inspired you
to become a professional tennis player
retires from tennis.
[fan] I love you, Rafa!
I've asked a lot. I've learned many things from him.
I've had the opportunity to just learn and make note of things,
and try to internalize it for my own career.
But then… mm… pretty quickly,
I'd trade it all because of the gift I've had of mostly talking one on one.
He spoke to me like a… a real friend.
[Nadal] It's been an incredible privilege.
We've had fun.
We've achieved, uh… many things, beautiful things together,
and now it's time for you to carry on.
[Molina] Rafa has left a legacy encompassing the spirit he's had
for sacrifice for the sport, for tennis.
Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
And that's what people expect from Carlos.
[announcer] Now, as always, Rafa Nadal!
[moving music playing]
[Ferrero] Rafa has been a true example of fighting on and self-improvement.
And now it's Carlos who has to figure out who he wants to be.
SPAIN WE ALL SUPPORT VALENCIA
I need to be prepared.
I need to be rested
and also mentally ready to take on a lot.
I need days off after certain tough… tough moments,
while also getting in practice at least the whole week in
so I can be prepared.
I really need both of those things.
Two things. I think first, you need to learn from your mistakes.
Second, you gotta find the… the very important skill
of balance between vacation, training, and staying motivated.
- Yeah. - [Ferrero] And that's not easy.
Yeah.
Lately, you've had the chance to go to Formula 1,
and I told you, "Carlos, now's not the time,"
and you said, "Yes because I need it."
I said, "Okay, well, I don't think you should,"
and you went anyway.
It was your decision to accept or not to accept.
But then… in many moments, I won't be on board.
- Yeah. - You know that, right?
I know, but I also know much of it, of course,
will depend on many… many, uh… other things,
a specific thing, but in the end, there are times…
um… when I think that maybe I'm giving too much attention
to things that really aren't important.
But in the end, I wanna be a tennis player
'cause I'm really… passionate about it.
And then there's times I don't have that feeling of joy.
There's times I go to the tournaments feeling like that's an obligation.
Uh… I'm thinking of rankings. I'm thinking of bonuses.
My thoughts are completely out of control, man.
I lose focus on what's really important, the most important to me.
I say this clearly, and you already know
that we don't think the same way about tennis,
but we want the same things, to rise to the top, right? But…
but there are days…
sometimes there are days I'm not sure how to do that.
- I know-- - You have to find your "why," man.
- [Carlos] Exactly. - "Why" counts.
[Carlos] Exactly.
But act with professionalism and with some common sense.
Yeah, uh-huh. With some balance.
[Ferrero] We gotta find situations that make sense
because there will be plenty of times when you'll feel like doing something else,
which is fine, and as you mature personally,
you'll have a much better understanding of your needs
and, uh… what would be good for you.
And you know, all of us are trying to help you as best as we can
and tell you how it is, you know?
- Right? - No, it's…
- You get it? - Yeah.
- That's the job. - Uh…
And man, in the end, that's I really all I need from you.
[Ferrero] Of course.
For you to tell me how things really are
and make sure not to sugarcoat it for me.
Uh… I don't wanna agree just to agree.
- Well, then-- - We keep going.
- We keep going.
Let's do it.
[cheering and applause]
[emotional music playing]
[commentator] Welcome along, everybody.
These two have shared out the Grand Slams this season.
The dominant forces of 2024.
And, who knows, perhaps the dominant forces of many years to come.
Are you Team Sinner or Team Alcaraz?
[Ferrero] I tried to remind him always
not just of what he has to do but also who he is.
Carlos isn't a normal tennis player.
He is not a regular person.
Science tells us that it's our mindset
that drives us towards, "We have to do this,"
but, without a very strong mindset,
the results will be that you lose.
[commentator] Oh, what a touch!
[Lledó] He's out of this world,
and we maybe need to be there to learn to be better with him.
There's no other way.
If we want him to do extraordinary things,
we have to try to be extraordinary like him.
[cheering and applause]
[commentator] Oh! He's soaking up everything, Alcaraz.
Carlos has taught me to be more flexible
and remember life brings moments of joy, and we need to enjoy them.
I'm also learning from his way of dealing with situations,
and how he might empathize and connect to people.
[cheering]
I know that since Carlos came into my life,
I am different, I'm more… more cheerful,
more relaxed on occasion,
and… and that's united us like brothers.
It has made us a real family.
[cheering and applause]
[Ferrero] We're all learning.
We're all learning to adapt a bit to the way that can aid Carlos
and be there at his side and help bring out his best
and make sure he really has the tools to be the best in history.
- [dreamy music playing] - [indistinct]
[music fades]
- [cheering and applause] - [pensive music playing]
[commentator] Carlos Alcaraz takes the trophy in Beijing.
It's a hat trick of wins against Sinner this season.
It's three out of three for the Spaniards.
The truth is that you only live once.
It's great if you can figure out how to enjoy it
and that you're clear on your objectives.
When you're 21, it's not always the case.
It matters that he becomes a filled and happy person.
I want him to achieve that, to say, "Wow, I've enjoyed this whole process,
the whole path, and thank you because you helped me."
My family, my team, have supported me every… every day, you know,
telling me, you know, things that I want…
that I don't want to hear all the time, so…
Uh… you know, there have been difficult moments,
you know, the… the last… the last two months.
So thank you very, very much for… for everything,
and, uh… this week especially.
I love Carlos so much
that I'd much rather fail at this job, bear that pain,
than have him say to me, "I never got to be happy."
"I achieved all this, Albert, but I wasn't happy in life."
I'd be destroyed.
Truly.
[cheering and applause]
My dream right now is to be one of the best in history.
Yes, sit at the same table as the Big Three.
Yes.
Mm… I want a mindset that's focused on doing what's possible,
to learn to handle it
and do whatever it takes to be the best in history.
In this moment, I don't know.
I know I'm young. I've got much to live for.
But with my limited life experience, I'm gonna try and align with my joy,
and, uh… enjoy the process, even before the success.
Because happiness is success.
And it's difficult to really find that within you.
[triumphant music playing]
CARLOS ALCARAZ MY WAY
[music fades]