[peaceful music playing]
This is where I sleep. This is my bedroom.
CARLOS ALCARAZ GAVE US EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO FOLLOW HIM, HIS FAMILY, AND HIS TEAM
DURING THE MOST DECISIVE SEASON OF HIS CAREER
[Carlos] I come here after each tournament.
This is my quiet place.
This is where I have my hobby, my tennis-shoe collection, as you can see.
And I'm running out of space.
Uh… It's a bit cramped, but it's okay.
We make it work.
And for the people who say, "Where do you keep your trophies?"
I keep them here.
Here, I have some important ones. The one from the 2022 US Open.
[lively music playing]
[commentator] He's only 19 years old,
and he's just won the US Open Tennis Championships!
He's the youngest number one in history.
[peaceful music resumes]
[Carlos] The others are in the living room.
This one's Wimbledon, of course. This is crazy.
Here, you have all the recent champions.
Federer, Federer, Federer,
Federer, Federer, Nadal.
Federer, Nadal, Djokovic,
Federer, Murray, Djokovic, Djokovic, Murray.
Federer, Djokovic, Djokovic, Djokovic.
Then, all of a sudden, my name.
So it's like, "What? How the hell did that happen?"
[commentator] The joy of winning Wimbledon,
reserved for only a handful of privileged players, for geniuses.
I consider myself to be normal.
There's no food like my mother's anywhere in the world. That's for sure.
What I'd like to do is be the greatest player in history.
-[inspirational music playing] -[cheering]
[Carlos] This is my dream, but what's important is that I enjoy myself.
In order to give my best on the court,
I also need to spend quality time with my close circle of friends.
You'll always be my little brother.
I'll smack you on the head when you deserve it.
Even though it's not always compatible, it's vital for me.
[upbeat electronic music playing]
So tomorrow, guess who doesn't have to deal with the press?
His understanding of work and sacrifice is different from ours.
When you left, I told you, "I don't think you should leave,"
and you said, "I have to because I need it."
He's so different that it makes me wonder
whether his way will help him become the greatest player in history.
Tell us, even though you're in pain, if you can compete.
[Nadal] If you feel like you're sacrificing too much,
then you probably won't make it
because in the end, you'll end up burning out way too soon.
Damn point! What am I looking for here?
At the end of the season, Carlos hit rock bottom.
Shit.
Take it easy.
I wasn't mentally strong enough to overcome all the stress.
[tense music playing]
If I go there and feel that way, it's better not to play tennis at all.
[Federer] The compatible life is a tricky one, right?
You wanna be everywhere, but you can't be.
[shouting excitedly]
He wants to experience things that 21-year-olds do. That's normal.
[man 1] Carlitos first.
Wipeout!
[man 2] But we also have to remind him that, as much as he might want to,
he's not a normal 21-year-old.
[triumphant music playing]
[cheering]
[Carlos] I'm laying the foundations of my journey
to become the greatest player in history.
But I'm doing it my way.
CARLOS ALCARAZ MY WAY
[man] Hey, waiter!
-[woman 1] Come sooner than later! -We'd like some clams.
Excuse me. Good afternoon.
Leave them there, near your brother Álvaro.
Your brother likes cockles.
-[Álvaro] Yeah, set them here. -There you go.
-[woman 1] Come on, Sergio. -[man] You've got a knack for this.
[Carlos] Wow, marineras. I didn't see 'em.
[woman 1] And broth.
-And the broth? -[Carlos] Mmm!
I want everyone in the world to know there's no food like my mother's.
Anywhere in the world. That's for sure.
I'm gonna live with her till I'm 50.
I won't? Okay.
-[woman 2] Give me my plate, please? -[Carlos] Do I have ice cream cones?
[Carlos's mother] Someone ate them all!
Oh no. Did you eat them all? Did you finish every last one?
-[woman 2] I tried to save some. -You always eat all the ice cream cones.
It's crazy. You don't leave me a single one.
-[man 1] He eats three per meal. -I can't believe it.
He doesn't leave one single ice-cream cone. Not one.
I'm the kind of person who likes spending time at home.
It's really all the little things in life that make me happy.
I mean, right now I'm at home,
and this afternoon, I'm gonna have coffee with my friend at his place.
And that makes me happy.
Now, you have to eat a piece of pear, some fruit, and mango.
[Carlos] But when I'm able to take
the few days off I get after a tennis tournament,
if I put them together, I get to spend a maximum of two months at home.
I wanna spend time with my friends and family.
I wanna have some downtime.
But playing tennis doesn't allow me to do that.
[suspenseful music playing]
START OF THE 2024 SEASON
Three series.
[Carlos] When I was 15, I wanted to be a tennis player, obviously.
Once you become one, that's when you realize
that there are a lot of things you have to do that go with the game.
Good. Go higher. Give it all you got!
You don't realize the level of physical effort
and especially the mental strain involved.
You can't see your family.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
[Carlos] You have to deal with the media.
Obviously, there are times when I wanna take a break,
but that's when I remind myself this is what I've dreamt of my whole life.
[reporters] Thank you.
Deal with people and their expectations.
[fan] Carlos!
[fans shouting] Carlos!
You have to learn to deal with all that, and it's not easy.
-Okay, we have-- -[Carlos] One visit left.
We just have a meet and greet with Louis Vuitton,
and then we can focus on the tournament.
[tense music playing]
[commentator] Alcaraz lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open,
marking his exit from the first major tournament of the year.
The circuit is very demanding. There are tournaments all the time,
and you have to learn to fulfill your obligations
if you really wanna be in the tennis world.
[Carlos] In a lot of interviews and…
people ask me, "What are you scared of, for real?"
And I didn't… I didn't know. I didn't know how to answer that question.
But I guess, right now, my fear would be that tennis becomes an obligation.
Put it on, and then you… There you go.
-Okay. -Yeah.
Pull up your collar. Pull it up like this.
-Yeah. -Pull up your collar.
[man] For Carlos, this challenge is no longer fun, motivating, and exciting
but rather an obligation.
An obligation to win, an obligation to get up in the morning,
and always train as hard as possible. Everything he does is an obligation,
and I don't think he's ever had to feel the weight of that word before.
We're gonna do two, one, two, one,
and then when you finish here, give me a drop shot.
Okay?
[Carlos] I constantly feel like I'm trapped.
And that triggers in me anxiety, frustration, and doubts.
So much so, I have to ask myself, "Do I want this?"
"Do I really want to live this life? Do I really want to, uh… continue?"
[man] If you force Carlos's hand, if you make him work
just because it's expected of him, you'll lose him.
You'll lose him, and that means he's not happy.
He has no drive,
and maybe after three years, he stops playing tennis.
MARCH 2024
-[rackets hitting balls] -[players grunting]
On the first day he arrived at Indian Wells,
he was serious and preoccupied. He seemed sad.
[Carlos's father] At Indian Wells, he was more tense than usual.
He didn't have the smile we're all accustomed to.
We saw that he was suffering, and we knew we had to do something.
-What are you using? -A lob wedge.
[man] We had to help our athlete
so that what we thought was happening to him
wouldn't turn into, "Damn it, I don't feel like playing tennis anymore."
"All this effort isn't worth it."
I think that helping him when I can is important for everyone on the team.
[man] I put myself in his shoes, and with all that pressure,
what he needs is to escape from it and not think about it.
That important match he has to play.
[Carlos] Damn, what a shot!
[Ferrero] We play a lot of golf,
and each member of our team is paired with another member of our team.
[golfer 1] Alberto!
[golfer 2] Thankfully we have a mulligan. Get another.
-Thank goodness for that. -It's because they're filming me!
[Ferrero] We were constantly laughing all the time because, you know, we were…
Just picture all of us.
When someone was about to swing, we'd all be behind, hoping he'd mess up.
He'd miss his swing, and everyone was like, "Ha-ha!"
And so on. You get it.
We did this all day long and created a really positive vibe.
[López] Look, here's dinner.
Good thing we already bought dinner, but take it as a side dish.
[man] It was just so that we could unwind a bit and relax.
It's times like these that make him feel he has a life.
[blows raspberry]
-Send it down there. -This is the penalty shot, right?
It really helped me get back in touch with… with my true nature,
what I enjoy, and what makes me happy.
-[Lledó] Come on, partner! -It was like… being home again.
-[golfer 3] Wow! What a shot! -[Lledó] Really good!
He feels supported. He has a team. He golfs. Yeah, he's delighted.
You'll see Álvaro's second shot.
[Molina] His face changed.
-Just show my good swings. -[golfer 4] This guy's no joke.
Doubting is how he starts competing.
[dreamy music playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Carlos] In order to be happy again, I need to feel really good off the court.
[man] Come on! Go for it!
In Indian Wells, I felt very good off the court.
I wasn't nervous at all, and that's when I was able to truly enjoy it.
[commentator 1] Unbelievable. That was great!
-[commentator 2] Great, great, great. -[commentator 1] What a show!
[Ferrero] All he needed was to reconnect with his love of tennis,
to smile again on the court.
[commentator] A great shot from Alcaraz, and Daniil Medvedev can't return that.
7-6, 6-1 for Carlos Alcaraz,
who, once again, has won at Indian Wells.
[Carlos] Many people who know me sent me messages
like, "Finally, I see you're enjoying yourself again,
smiling again."
However, the following two weeks go by, and the injury issue comes up.
[dramatic drumbeat pounds]
-[Carlos] How many? -[Moreno] Ten.
-How tough is it? -It's really hard.
-From zero to ten? -Six.
[Moreno] Okay, so on the right,
it shouldn't be more than seven or eight, okay?
Right after Indian Wells, I felt a sharp pain in my… in my forearm.
All right, one. Move it all the way to the end.
[Carlos] It's in my right arm, which I use for every stroke,
the serve, the volley, the forehand,
where I accelerate the most and generate the most power.
[Moreno] All right, turn my hand like this.
-How is it? -[Carlos] Good.
[Moreno] Good, okay.
[Moreno] When he injured his right forearm,
just a few weeks before the start of the French Open, we were not sure.
We were all very concerned about whether or not he was in optimal condition
to play this tournament.
8 WEEKS UNTIL ROLAND GARROS
[Moreno] We worked on his forearm, moved everything normally.
-[Moreno] Is this your bedroom, Álvaro? -[Álvaro] Yeah, it is.
[laughter]
[Carlos] It's just something that happens. I invade my brother's room quite often.
[Álvaro] I'm used to it. Between Carlos, who gets treated here
and the kids who come up to play on the computer and whatnot…
We always end up fighting because, I mean, it's my bedroom,
and when I say my bedroom, I mean it. It doesn't even have a door.
So, yeah, my room is constantly occupied.
[Moreno] He has a squatter in his own room.
[Carlos] I can live on my own,
but I like living with… with my family, with my parents.
[Lledó] Let's make it more dynamic, okay?
Then we can move on to the next thing downstairs.
[Lledó] Carlos is away from home a lot,
so we do our best to adapt ourselves to him
and try to spend as many days as possible at his place so he doesn't have to travel.
Very good. Use your lower back.
-[dog barks] -Kira, come! [kisses teeth]
-She doesn't like the camera. Kira! -[Carlos] Kira, Kira, Kira!
-Kira! -[dog whines]
-[man] Here, put a mic on her. -[Moreno] Kira also wants to train.
[man] There aren't many female neighbors watching.
There's one over there.
[Carlos] Well, that's because the windows are dark, and they’re closed, but…
[Carlos] Because I have this injury, being at home helps me not think too far ahead.
I mean, if I were somewhere else…
uh… alone, it would be much harder for me.
-Let's go downstairs. -Right now?
Let's take the stairs, dude. Come on, if we're gonna get out of here.
-Let's go. -Are we going somewhere?
[Moreno] Of course, dude.
Let's go. We can't use the elevator, can we?
How's it goin', guys?
I'm gonna play here for a while.
[Carlos] In front of my apartment, they built a few tennis courts,
so I thought, "Okay, let's go check them out
and see what kind of feeling I get on them."
-[kid] What an arm! -[Carlos] That's what tennis does to you.
[Moreno] But I can beat him.
Well, right there and then,
the only sparring partner we had available was his father.
[Lledó] Carlos's dad needs to warm up, okay?
We'll just be hitting balls, right?
-It won't be full on. -[Lledó] Yeah.
It had been a long, long time since I played with my dad.
Let's do forehand, backhand, forehand.
Keep changing it. Change it up.
[father] I've dedicated myself to the world of tennis.
I used to play against him when he was 12 years old,
but I think that when he turned 13, Carlos could've easily beaten me.
For sure. [chuckles]
When I saw that my kids could beat me at tennis,
I'd find all kinds of excuses to avoid playing them
and say, "Hey, I think we're done here."
-The last one! -[Carlos] Okay.
No, I can't say I've beaten my father. I haven't.
Keep coming, keep coming. It's okay.
Everyone will get an autograph. Don't worry.
[father] We've always had tennis in our lives.
That goes back to my parents.
In Carlos's case, when he was a little boy,
we put him in a tennis school in the village of El Palmar.
REAL SOCIEDAD COUNTRY CLUB OF MURCIA
[gentle music playing]
He rapidly made substantial progress.
[man on video] Come on. Show us how you move your feet!
[man in interview] I started coaching Carlitos when he was only five years old.
He was the kind of kid who, anything you told him to do,
after showing him twice, he'd do it.
[Santos] Angle!
Very good. Now you're doing what you're supposed to do.
That's great, kid.
[man] The first time I saw him with a racket,
honestly, it was incredible.
You just knew he was different.
He even seemed a little too confident, you know?
He held his racket well, made a lot of drop shots,
had a lot of feel for the ball.
His forehand was fantastic. You couldn't believe how hard he'd hit the ball.
Something like 3,000 miles per hour.
[grunts]
[Carlos's father] Ever since he picked up a racket, around the age of three or four,
you'd always see him smiling every time he went to a training session
or played a match.
He's always been like that. He really wants to play tennis,
and he'll play tennis as long as he's truly having fun,
having a good time.
All his coaches have always said the same thing.
When Carlos comes to train, when he comes to play,
he always gives 100% of himself.
Ever since I was little,
what I always do when I step onto the court
is give 100% of myself.
When I'm not giving it my all, I'm stuck in second gear.
Everything's much harder for me.
After having rested and recovered for a few weeks,
I was still hurting and worried about the injury to my forearm.
[Moreno] Did you take the anti-inflammatories?
[Carlos] And also thinking about my next challenge.
"What's the next tournament?"
"Barcelona."
It's a tournament I wait for all year long to go to.
And it was gonna be our moment of truth.
[Moreno] Tomorrow, if all goes well,
the warm-up will be a normal competition training.
Well, then we'll just have to wait and see if all goes well.
[Ferrero] We were training, but he was worried, you know?
[Ferrero] Last series.
[Ferrero] So finally, we had to tell him, "Hey, Carlos,
you need to hit the ball normally."
"If you don't, we'll go to Barcelona, and it'll be even more disappointing."
[grunts]
But then I noticed it.
-[Moreno] You notice it, right? -[Carlos] It hurts a lot.
[Moreno] Yeah.
[Ferrero] I think the main thing here is that,
if he's feeling what he's feeling now,
he won't be at full capacity when he's playing because…
if he's already feeling pain now and it hurts when he sits down,
how's he going to give 300% of himself on the court?
[Ferrero] He always has trouble playing with any kind of physical problem.
I remember when he first started getting cramps,
he would be like, "No, I can't play. It's impossible."
Tell us, even though you're in pain, if you can compete.
[sad piano music playing]
[Carlos] After that training session, I was feeling really messed up.
Right there and then, I felt a moment of frustration I couldn't control,
and honestly, it was complicated.
It was very, very complicated for me.
6 WEEKS UNTIL ROLAND GARROS
We need to go.
When you get injured and you can't play in a tournament,
the last thing you wanna do is show up.
[dramatic music playing]
[Molina] Even though it was really hard for Carlos to go to Barcelona,
he had to go and be grateful for being there
and also attend to his fans.
[fans shouting] Carlos!
[Molina] The tournament had invested a lot of money in promotion, marketing.
If Carlos hadn't gone, it would've been a big loss for them.
It's important that you explain to them
that you've been trying to recover up until now
in order to be there for Barcelona.
Therefore, it's important that you take all the time you need, okay?
-Don't speak too fast. You're alone. Okay? -Okay.
Take all the time you need, and explain everything you want.
You got this.
Right now, my next goal is to try to go to Madrid,
but at the moment, I'm not sure at all.
Thank you.
[dramatic music builds, fades]
MUTUA MADRID OPEN PRESENTATION
There are times you can and times you can't.
Sometimes it's okay to get there a little late.
-I know it really gets on your nerves-- -I get it.
-But if it's… I get it. -But today, trust me.
-You really need to be there. -I know.
[Carlos] I was having lunch with friends, and of course,
one thing led to another, and it ended up being way longer than expected.
I was supposed to be at the hotel at four. I got there at 4:30
and still had to change my clothes.
That day, I got angry,
I got really angry with Carlos, but it had nothing to do with punctuality.
Watch out for the taxi!
For me, he was simply disrespecting the other players around him,
and that's something I won't tolerate from Carlos.
Fine, from now on, I'll get there first. Then what happens?
It doesn't matter if you're number one in the world
because no one should ever have to wait for you, Carlos.
That's when I'll tell them, "Now I have to wait?"
-No, you don't say anything. -I'm just pulling your leg.
-I'm not in a position to say anything. -No. You're not.
The only position I can be in is with my head down
and ready to accept my punishment.
I know it. What's funny is I know it. I know it.
-I know what position I'm in. -Wonderful.
That's important.
[Molina] Ultimately, this is a young man
who has a lot of responsibilities he didn't ask for.
What's important is that he understands that the people around him,
what they say and what they do, do it for his own good.
[applause]
[journalist] Carlitos Alcaraz, you couldn't play in Barcelona.
Are you just planning to go to the Madrid Open,
or will you play in the Madrid Open?
I'm doing absolutely everything in my power to recover from this injury,
and if everything goes as planned, I think there's a chance I'll play there.
APRIL 2024
-[upbeat music playing] -[laughter]
-What's up, man? All good? -[man] How are you? Ready to play?
-Ready to go. So ready. -Are you going to beat them?
Absolutely. You bet I am!
-How are things with you? -Fabulous, man.
-You're amazing, man. -I came here to see you.
In every tournament, we always have these mandatory promotional activities,
and we always try to be creative
so that these activities end up being something that truly excites Carlos.
And he loved the event with Topuria.
Do you think I can punch you? That'd be impossible?
[Topuria] I mean, hitting me lightly, just grazing me--
-Then nothing, zero. -Come on, show me what you got, Carlitos.
-Take that! -[laughter]
[Carlos] Wow!
-[Topuria] You can see him. -You know I went easy on you?
Let's see who's the real boss here.
Look, I'm terrible at this, okay?
[onlookers exclaiming]
Damn, you're good. You really crushed it.
I have a padel court at home.
When injuries and time allow me, I love playing padel too.
But you're injured quite often.
You're right. Lately, I've been injured more often than I should be.
I've been having ankle issues and now this.
Let's put it out there in the universe. We no longer wanna get injured.
-Absolutely. -That's right.
-Knock on wood. -[man] Let's take a photo.
-[Carlos] Okay. -[man] One here and one there.
[tense music playing]
QUARTERFINALS
[Ferrero] Is it higher up? In the middle or not?
-Or in the same area? -Right there.
It feels sore, but my body feels sore all over too.
-All of this doesn't hurt. -[Ferrero] Okay, let's check it out.
When we heard this, we felt as though we hadn’t made any progress
in helping him overcome this mental block,
this fearfulness he had of hitting the ball.
Carlos knew that, to play against Rublev, he needed to give 100% of himself.
-[Carlos] Okay. -You have to make more effort.
Know how to suffer, how to push yourself, and be smart about this.
-[Carlos] Yeah. -Be smart, okay? Huh? Good.
Okay.
[energetic electronic music playing]
[Carlos] Rublev, one of the best players in the world.
He has incredible energy.
He hits the ball extremely hard and to the right.
-[commentator 1] What a shot from Alcaraz. -[commentator 2] Great passing shot.
I start great. I win the first set.
[line judge] Out!
What's he doing?! He's hitting the ball at a forehand speed.
He won the first set, but he still wasn't hitting the ball the way he should.
[Carlos] And then suddenly,
I felt a pain in my forearm.
[commentator] Oh no. I'm sure that's not what he meant to do.
I knew it was over.
[grunts]
[line judge] Out!
[commentator] That forehand shot was strange,
as if he couldn't grip his racket.
[Ferrero] If we win this tournament the way he's playing, Albert,
I swear I'm getting drunk tonight.
-[line judge] Out! -[Carlos] Shit!
Damn that court-center shot!
[commentator] It looks like the champion is having trouble
with those unusual shots he's hitting.
Something is disconnected in his tennis.
I realized I needed to do something more,
but I knew what the pain in my forearm felt like,
so it was very hard to get it out of my head.
[commentator] This one lands in the net, and Alcaraz is out of the tournament.
In that match, I think
that his mental block was really the main problem.
Mentally, he's not doing well.
He's fragile.
[melancholic music playing]
[Carlos] Another day, right?
4 WEEKS UNTIL ROLAND GARROS
[Ferrero] I'm having a lot of doubts about this.
He shouldn't play forehand if he's only at 50%.
[López] No, that's for sure.
Next tournament is a Grand Slam. That means five sets.
[López] Tennis players with that type of injury can play,
but he was afraid to,
and that can affect you, physically and psychologically,
because you know you can't give it your all.
We got through this. Now we have to do more.
That's the next step.
[Moreno] What he needed back then was time,
but the French Open was just around the corner,
and we were working with an extremely tight margin of error.
-[Molina] Hey, Carlos. -Huh?
-[Molina] How you feeling, man? -[Carlos] Good. I'm gonna shower and then…
-Describe what you're feeling in your arm. -I don't know, man.
That's what worries me, that I don't know.
-Is it the same pain? -I don't know, man.
-The thing is that I don't know. -Okay. Don't worry.
The thing is I don't know if it's the same spot or not.
If it's a different spot,
I don't know if it's from yesterday
or if I hurt myself now. I don't know.
So I was back to doubting everything.
Will I be able to hit my forehand shots at full capacity again?
If yes, when will that happen?
[woman] ♪ Happy 21st birthday ♪
♪ Have a wonderful day today ♪
♪ Your grandmother wishes you A happy birthday… ♪
VICTORIA ESCANDÓN GRANDMOTHER
♪ And many more to come ♪
-[cheering and applause] -Olé!
[Victoria] Oh, how sweet you are! You deserve everything!
[man] Come on, come on!
I wanted to thank everybody here for all the years we've been together.
We don't get together often, unfortunately,
but honestly, at least being able to enjoy my 21st birthday with all of you
is a pleasure and an honor for me, so thank you all very much.
-[cheering] -[pensive music playing]
[Álvaro] He loves being with his family and childhood friends
who were at that birthday party
because that's when he can truly relax and be himself.
Hey, Carlitos, happy birthday, buddy.
I want you to know that I love you a lot, a lot, a lot,
and I want you to know that it doesn't matter one bit
how famous you become.
Just remember you'll always be my little brother,
and I'll give you a smack on the head when you deserve it.
[laughter]
[Álvaro in interview] He needs to clear his mind,
to step away from this highly demanding world of tennis,
all the pressure that goes with it and that he suffers from.
He's also only 21 years old.
Happy birthday!
You're 21 years old.
If you feel you need time for yourself, then take it.
It'll be okay.
If you feel you need to stay at home, stay at home.
If you feel you need to go out, go out.
[cheering]
[Carlos] There are times when I don't feel like playing tennis as much.
There are times when I don't wanna travel.
There are times when I say, "I wanna stay here."
"I wanna be the 20-year-old that I am."
[upbeat music playing]
MAY 2024
3 DAYS UNTIL ROLAND GARROS
The French Open is the only grand slam played on clay courts.
It was the tournament I've dreamt of winning
since I was a child.
To win in Paris, it's a special moment for everyone.
[umpire] Game, set, and match, Nadal.
[Navrátilová] Rafa made it his own.
Fourteen Roland Garros is crazy.
It'll never happen again, I don't think.
[Carlos's father] Carlos grew up with Rafa as a role model,
so following in the footsteps of the king of clay tournaments
is something that's been ingrained in him since he was very young.
[emotional piano music playing]
[father] On top of that, he played there when he was 12 years old, you know?
And so, of course, he wanted to return there as a professional
and, why not, win the tournament.
Carlos has always been excited about the French Open,
ever since he was a kid.
[Molina] So what do you think?
How was this last week of preparation for Paris?
It's been good. We've taken it one step at a time.
Right now, it's all good, but it's more a question of…
-Mental strength. -His mental strength.
[Carlos] I was feeling a lot better,
but it was obvious to me that if I felt even a little pain,
I'd be right back where I was.
[Ferrero] What happened during the practice session?
You started hitting powerful shots nonstop without missing.
That's exactly what you need to do to win here.
Every little thing I felt made me think, "Hey, be careful, watch out."
Every time you fail, remember what you did and do better, better, better. Let's go!
We had to get him to mentally unblock the issue with his arm,
but he wouldn't let go.
[determined music playing]
[commentator 1] Hello and welcome to the center court of the French Open
and the Court Philippe-Chatrier.
[commentator 2] The crowd is nervous because of the number-one player's knee.
Everyone seems to be uncertain of the outcome, including Novak Djokovic.
[commentator 1] And it's over. Nothing else can be done.
Alexander moves on to the next round.
Rafa Nadal, satisfied and confident,
must say goodbye to the French Open 2024.
[Molina] What makes this French Open special
is that for the first time in 20 years,
you don't have a player like Novak or Rafa Nadal in the final.
[man, in French] Thank you, Rafa. Rafael Nadal!
[in English] There's an up-and-coming generation that's pushing its way forward.
This is a real fact.
And ultimately, they're the ones who are competing in the grand-slam tournaments.
-[man] For you. -Thank you. Perfect. Let's see.
Tennis today is lucky to be experiencing this generational shift
with young players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Right now, at only 23 years old,
he's the toughest player you can compete against.
[energetic music playing]
[commentator] Oh, no way! He is the best player.
He has long arms, and his shots go very deep.
[raucous cheering]
[commentator] The Australian Open men's singles champion for 2024,
Jannik Sinner!
He had just won Australia, his first grand slam.
[Sinner] Me and Carlos, we have a great rivalry.
When we play, there is a bit more extra attention,
and then from our side, a bit more tension.
[cheering]
[Sinner] He won Masters events, as I did. He won Grand Slams.
So while he is winning,
I feel that my practice sessions are getting more intense.
[commentator] No one can believe it inside the Hard Rock Stadium. Incredible.
[Carlos] He motivates me to be better.
He motivates me to improve myself so I can beat him.
[music fades]
[dramatic music playing]
[commentator 1] Hello and welcome to the best tennis in the world,
the French Open. Semi-finals, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
[umpire] First set, Carlos Alcaraz to serve.
Fifteen-love.
[Carlos] The truth is he starts at a very high level.
I can't seem to reach that level.
[cheering]
[umpire] Game, Sinner.
I saw him, that he was struggling, you know, with the… with the right hand,
so I tried to move him around, trying to see where he has pain
and where he doesn't have pain.
[commentator 1] What a thrilling start from Jannik.
[commentator 2] He's a perfect machine.
He pushes your limits, physically and mentally.
[Ferrero] Your forehand, stay a little loose, let the ball run.
Come on, keep going.
In these kinds of situations, you have to believe in your game.
So I needed to change something.
[grunts]
[applause]
[Carlos] I was hitting faster with my forehand,
and I hit much harder too.
[commentator 1] He's accelerating with his forehand.
[commentator 2] Alcaraz needed to feel that with his forehand.
[Ferrero] You can already see
that he's starting to really hit his forehand at his level.
[umpire] Game, Alcaraz.
It was a release for him.
Then came the third set.
And that's when I started getting cramps.
[commentator 1] Looks like something's wrong with Alcaraz.
Something's wrong.
[commentator 2] Last year, Carlos also had something with Djokovic.
[Ferrero] It was during a semi-final against the best player of all time.
[players grunting]
[umpire] Game, Djokovic.
[Carlos] When you're in front of 10,000 people
and you realize you can't play your best game
because you're getting cramps, it hurts.
It's really frustrating to be seen like that.
[Molina] He has to learn to manage his pain
and know how to compete without being at full capacity.
All the best players in history have competed,
and they're all able to manage their pain.
[López] That loss was a very tough one,
and the worst part about it was that a year later, it would happen again.
[line judge] Out!
[Carlos] I was really hurting.
[umpire] Sinner, 6-3.
[Carlos] I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't know what to do.
So that's when I looked over at Juanqui.
We realized that Jannik was starting to have problems as well.
I was able to get Carlos's attention
and show him that Jannik was cramping up, the same as him.
At some point, we both were cramping a little bit.
I had my cramps in my hand.
[inaudible]
I think that's when he realized that tennis wasn't all about showmanship
but that it was mostly about being mentally strong.
[commentator] Wow, that was quite a shot!
That ball was impossible to hit!
So then it turned into this intense battle
of who could handle the pain situation better
and who could handle what was coming.
[determined music playing]
[Carlos] That's when I thought to myself, "Jannik, if you really wanna take me out,
you're gonna have to take me out on a stretcher!"
[cheering]
[Sinner] He was then much better than me to find a way to win.
This shows again how… how mentally strong Carlos is.
[commentator] And he does it!
The genius from El Palmar has made it to the final of the French Open!
What an epic battle, in five sets!
He won in New York. He won in London.
On Sunday, he'll be given the chance to win here in Paris.
[Ferrero] The way he managed his self-control
and overcame his problems was amazing.
We all enjoyed watching him.
We suffered with him, but it was great to watch.
Carlos, how did you learn to win this match?
Because you always try to enjoy and to have fun,
and today, it was all about suffering.
You have to find, uh… the joy suffering.
-[crowd laughing] -That's the…
-I think that's the… that's the key. -[applause]
[commentator] It's a historic day for tennis with the French Open final
between Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz.
This is indeed a privilege for Spanish tennis,
and we are hoping for a tenth national champion today.
[intense music playing]
[commentator] Carlos Alcaraz said when he was 12 years old,
"I want to win Wimbledon,
but above all, I want to win the French Open."
-[man] Name? -[Carlos] Carlos Alcaraz.
[man] What would be your dream as a professional?
To win the French Open and Wimbledon.
[cheering]
[commentator] Zverev to serve, and the match will begin.
[commentator] Wow, what a volley.
That was spectacular, what Carlos just did there.
When you're in the French Open final, you can't think about anything else.
You have to just keep going.
[cheering]
[commentator] What the Spanish player just did was tremendous!
[cheering]
[commentator] And he did it. He did it in a big way.
This is one of those times when a dream finally becomes a reality.
Champion of the French Open, Carlos Alcaraz Garfia.
[triumphant music playing]
[Carlos's father] It's incredible. The hairs on your arms stand up.
You know, it's a huge feeling of joy.
[Virginia] I think of him.
I only think of him. "Your dream came true."
"This is yours, and you're the one who won it."
[inaudible]
[fans, in Spanish] Champions, champions! Olé, olé, olé!
[in English] The French Open champion, Carlitos!
-Bravo! Yeah! -Bravo!
-Okay, let's go! -Yes!
Now I just need to climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower
and hang like King Kong on the Empire State Building.
Well, I can… do the Eiffel Tower.
[Carlos] Whoo!
So what are we doing tonight?
It's drinks for dinner, dude.
So tomorrow, guess who doesn't have to deal with the press?
-I'm partying all night. -[Molina] Wrong.
Tomorrow, you and I are doing press, that's for sure.
-I'll just keep on going, Albert. -[Molina] That's good.
Even hammered. As hammered as a nail in the wall.
You don't have a tie. You'd have to tie it around your head.
You're right. That's no good.
[Molina] At 11:00 a.m., I'll be banging on your door to wake you up.
Try to make sure I'm alone.
[dreamy music playing]
[inaudible]
[whistling and cheering]
[people chanting in Spanish] Champions, champions!
Olé, olé, olé!
[Carlos, in English] Seeing all my friends from the village, my family, all my team…
[chanting] Hey, hey, hey, hey!
My little boy. My little boy.
[Carlos] …I was relaxed.
I was able to eat pizza, eat whatever I wanted.
[chanting]
[cheering]
Drink wine, champagne.
Everything I wanted.
[triumphant music playing]
[inaudible]
[Carlos] It was a very, very, very nice, very special moment.
We were hopeful and could say,
"From this point on, good and beautiful things are coming my way."
[tense music playing]
[Ferrero] I want him to be the greatest player in history, but
I don't know if I can take it.
I don't know if I can take all this.
[shouting]
They're at it again.
[Moreno] I have to be strict. "It's not the right time."
"Don't do it. You're gonna make a mistake."
If going to the tennis court becomes an obligation,
then you're starting to have a problem, right?
[fan] You're the best!
[Carlos] I'm 21 years old, and I wanna make my own decisions now.
If I make a mistake, at least I made it. I don't want people to decide for me.
[Molina] With so many distractions around you,
you're losing your focus from being the greatest player in history.
[subtle electronic music playing]
[music intensifies]
[music fades]