Here's where I sleep. This is where I live.
CARLOS ALCARAZ GAVE US EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO FOLLOW HIM, HIS FAMILY, AND HIS TEAM
DURING THE MOST DECISIVE SEASON OF HIS CAREER
After every tournament, this is my spot.
It's the place I find stillness.
Here I have, well, my hobby, what I love most,
which are my shoes, my precious shoes.
As you can see, I'm gonna need more space.
I mean, it's really small, but we manage.
And, well, for everyone who says, "Damn, where are the trophies?"
right here.
I've got some important ones here. This is from the US Open in 2022.
He's just 19 years old,
and he's now found himself the winner of the US Open!
The youngest number one in the history of tennis.
The second one here is this one.
The Wimbledon one, of course.
Pretty brutal. This is the… It lists all the champions here.
It's Federer, Federer, Federer, Federer, Federer, Nadal.
Federer, Nadal, Djokovic,
Federer, Murray, Djokovic, Djokovic, Murray.
Federer, Djokovic, Djokovic, Djokovic, and then I'm there after all these guys.
You know, I'm wondering, "What's going on there?"
The joy of winning Wimbledon,
an achievement reserved for a privileged few, for champions.
I consider myself just normal.
Our mom's the best cook. She's the world champion too.
For real though.
But what I want is to be the best player in history.
It's my dream, but the key to the dream,
for me, is to enjoy life.
Gonna eat this beast.
In order to have endurance on the court,
I also have to have time with my people, my loved ones.
You're still my little brother. I'm gonna slap you over the head if you show off.
It's not only compatible, but it's necessary too.
We do only the kind of press that I like tomorrow.
His understanding of work and of sacrifice is different from ours.
Now that you're partying, I said, "Don't go so hard,"
and you're like, "No, I'm all good, I swear"
It's so different from what I need from him.
I ask if he's got what it takes to be the best of all time.
All it comes down to is can you compete?
If you feel like you're sacrificing too much,
you're not gonna get there
because in the end, you'll burn out before it's time, right?
Fucking point! Lookin' at me?
At the end of the season, Carlos hit bottom.
I tried.
Take it easy.
What happened was I was lacking the mental stamina to take it.
To play and feel like you failed, maybe it's better to just quit.
The compatible life is a tricky one, right?
You wanna be everywhere, but you can't be.
He wants to enjoy things his 21-year-old friends do. It's normal.
Carlitos always first in the water.
Ass!
But we also have to say to him
that, as much as he wants to be a normal kid, he's not.
I'm building my own journey to be the best player in history.
But in my own way.
CARLOS ALCARAZ MY WAY
Waiter!
- Come by later! - I'll have clams.
Excuse me. Good afternoon.
Leave them close. Your brother Álvaro likes the cockles and brine.
- Of course, of course. - There it is.
- Come on, Sergio. - Tiny hands.
- Damn, I didn't see them. - Potatoes and broth.
- And a little broth? - Mmm!
Yeah, so everyone knows, our mom's the best cook.
Mm, she's world champion too. For real, though.
Yeah, right.
I'm gonna live with her till I'm 50. Right? Of course, of course.
- Pass my plate, love. - More cones?
- No, we ate them all. - No. You ate them all?
You eat everything, bro. That's not cool.
If you ate them all, I would be impressed, bro. It's nuts.
- When he eats three… - No one left me one.
- He eats three in one sitting. - It's crazy.
This guy doesn't leave one single cone, bro. Not one.
I'm a homebody. My home is my favorite place in the world.
The small things in life are what make me feel the happiest.
You know, I'm home right now, and this afternoon,
I'm gonna get a cup of coffee
with a very good friend, and that makes me happy.
Okay, eat a little bit of pear, mixed fruit, and mango.
But taking these days off like I'm doing now
after the tournaments,
it's no more than, mm…
it's like at most two months that I can spend at home.
I wanna spend time with my friends, with my family.
I wanna have time for myself.
And for now, tennis doesn't really permit it.
START OF THE 2024 SEASON
Three series.
Since I was 15 years old, I wanted to be a tennis player.
Once you get there, you realize that to get to the top,
you have to do all these other things, not just be on the court.
Yeah. Push through it. Maximum intention.
You don't think about the level of physical demand
and beyond that, the mental demand.
Not seeing any of your family.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
You have to deal with the media.
Obviously, there's moments that I wanna take a break,
but then I remind myself that it's part of achieving my dream.
Thank you.
You deal with all these expectations.
Carlos!
You have to learn to deal with all of it, and it's not an easy thing.
Look, over here!
- What's left is-- - One more press visit.
Now a meet and greet with Louis Vuitton, and we're done.
We can focus on the tournament.
Alcaraz just lost the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
With that, he says goodbye to the first slam of the year.
The circuit is very demanding. You play back-to-back tournaments,
and you have to make sure you meet all your responsibilities
if you truly wanna make it.
In a lot of interviews,
people ask me, "What's your biggest fear?"
And honestly, I really didn't know.
I really wasn't sure what to say.
Right now, my fear of all is, uh…
ending up seeing tennis as an obligation.
Put it on, and you gotta… Oh, there it is.
- Mm. - Raise your collar up. Raise the collar.
- Yeah, okay. - Yeah, like this.
For Carlos, it stops being a worthwhile goal,
an ambitious or hopeful one,
and becomes an obligation.
Obligation to win, obligation to wake up early
and train and train.
All it ends up feeling like is an obligation,
and that word, I believe that doesn't make sense to him, never.
We're gonna do two, one, two, one,
and this, when you land it here, you let it go by.
Cool?
Sometimes I feel like I'm enslaved to tennis,
and that, well, it causes anxiety, frustration, doubts
I ask myself, "Do I really want this,
really want to live my life, really, with that pressure?"
"Do I want, uh… to keep going?"
If you wanna put Carlos in a cage, if you wanna force him to work
because he has to, you will lose him.
We'll lose him, so then he loses the joy,
he loses the will,
and then, in three years, he… he'll stop playing tennis.
MARCH 2024
The first day he gets to Indian Wells,
he's worried, not happy to be there. He's sad.
At Indian Wells, he looked very tense,
not showing that smile everybody's used to by now.
And we saw that he was suffering and that we had to stop it.
- How far you going? - Fifty-eight.
You gotta help the athlete so that what's happening to him
doesn't end with, "Shit, I don't wanna hold a racket anymore?" You know?
Or maybe say, "This effort isn't worth it."
I think that's a super important part of our team as we help him with this.
I put myself in his shoes, and with so much pressure,
what you really need to do to avoid that pressure
is not think.
about that important match you have to play.
Damn, what a shot!
We play a lotta golf.
We'll even win doubles if we're all playing as a team.
Alberto!
Good thing we have a mulligan. Grab a ball.
It's the camera. I get anxious!
We laughed so hard constantly
because, of course, he was about to go for a hole in one.
And we're all there behind him, waiting for him to fail spectacularly.
He'd miss it, and we're all, "Ha-ha!"
I don't know. Then, of course, spend all day like this,
creating a fun atmosphere for him.
We've got dinner.
Thankfully we got pork chops for dinner. Grab it. Let's eat.
It was simply a moment to give him space to get away from it all.
And that's what he feels that he enjoys, that zest for life.
- Let's go this way. - This is my penalty stroke.
It made me reconnect with, uh… my essence,
with my happiness, with my joy.
- Come on! - I was at home.
That's how I really felt.
- Bro, what a hit. - Good!
He feels supported. The team, the golf, it's all welcome.
You're gonna see Álvaro's second hit.
- His face changes. - Let's go!
- My shot's gonna be great. - I love this guy's jokes!
The doubts start when he starts competing.
To get back some of the enjoyment I've lost,
I have to feel good off the court.
You got it!
During Indian Wells, I felt good off the court.
All of my nerves left my body,
and I was able to finally enjoy it.
Can't believe it. Amazing.
- Great, great, great. - What a show!
He needed that reconnection with his love of tennis.
He smiled while he was playing.
A great show by Alcaraz! Medvedev's gone.
There was no response from Medvedev.
7-6, 6-1 for Alcaraz,
who will, once again, cement his triumph at Indian Wells.
A lot of the people who know me reached out,
like, "Finally, we're watching you smile."
"Finally, man, we get to see you enjoy it."
But then, two weeks go by, and the pain starts.
- How many? - Ten.
- Kinda hard, do you think? - It's swollen.
- From zero to ten? - Six.
It's on the right side.
As long as it's not more than a seven or eight, okay?
After Indian Wells, I developed a pinch in my… in my forearm.
All right, one. Go all the way back. All right.
It's in my right arm, the one I use for absolutely everything.
The right is the one with the most speed and the most power.
Put pressure on my hand. Does it hurt there?
- How's that? - Good.
Good, bravo.
In the moment we suffer an injury,
especially one so close to the French Open,
we begin to wonder out loud
if we will be able to get him more favorable conditions this time around.
8 WEEKS UNTIL ROLAND GARROS
We work the area, try to get it back to normal.
- Is this your bedroom, Álvaro? - Yeah, it really is.
I'm so needy, I take over my brother's room all the time.
Yeah, I'm already used to it.
Between my brother and the kids,
who come up to play on my computer and whatnot…
We always have fights there because, listen, this is my room.
Well, it's a room that doesn't have a door.
It's unbelievable.
And, uh… my room is usually pretty busy.
He has a squatter here in his own room.
I can live alone,
but I like being with my family, especially being with my parents.
Let's make it more dynamic.
Put it there, this way, go under the other.
Carlos is away from home so often
that we end up being the ones who adapt to him,
and we spend, um… many days at his home so he's not mostly on the road.
- That's good. - Yeah.
Very good lumbar. Bravo.
Kira, come here!
- Careful with the camera. - Kira, Kira, Kira!
Kira!
- Here, attach this microphone. - She wants to be part of it.
I'm seeing a few neighbors ogling.
That's why I have tinted windows, so I have privacy, you know?
This is why being home is the best for my injuries.
Better not to think beyond this moment,
like I would if I was somewhere, uh… alone.
Might… might be tough for me.
- Let's go down. - Not yet.
- We have to the stairs. - We have an elevator.
We have to move. No excuses.
- Come on. - Let's go.
Of course, bud.
We're moving our bodies, not taking an elevator.
Guys, how you doing?
- Good. We gonna play together? - I'm gonna play a bit here.
I can't believe it. He's playing here?!
They've opened a tennis court near my house,
and I'm like, "Let's go down there and see if my injury is healing or not."
What an arm!
That's the thing about tennis. I might beat him.
It was very last minute,
so the available sparring partner was his dad.
Carlos Senior, you gotta warm up, eh?
Well, we're just throwing balls around.
- Not play play. - Sure.
It had been such a long time since I played with my dad last.
That one, forehand, backhand, forehand.
Think. You gotta mix it up.
I've been dedicated to tennis my whole life.
I played with him since he was 12 years old,
but honestly, he could beat me by the time he turned 13,
Every time, for sure.
Ah!
It was the same with all my kids. Once I saw they could beat me,
I'd find any excuses not to play opposite them
and say, "Hey, time to go, guys."
- Last one here. - Cool.
I can't gloat and say I beat my dad. I won't do it.
Keep going, kids. It's all good.
I'm gonna sign them all. No worries.
Tennis is something we've always had at home,
starting with my parents.
So Carlos had exposure to it since he was little.
We enrolled him in tennis school right away in El Palmar.
REAL SOCIEDAD COUNTRY CLUB OF MURCIA
He adapted to the game almost immediately.
Good. I wanna see that footwork clearly.
I started training Carlitos from when he was barely five.
He was the kind of kid that, anything you tell him to do,
maybe two or more times, he'd do it.
Angles!
Very good. Now you're really delivering here.
That's it, kiddo.
The first time I saw him with a racket in hand,
truth is it was incredible.
I got it, I got it!
You saw he was different
because, little by little, he was surpassing us.
Yes, yes, yes! Beautiful.
He naturally held the racket. He had so much tact with the ball.
His forehand was fantastic. You didn't see him miss the ball.
Hitting the ball at 3,000 miles per hour.
The drive he's had since he picked up a racket,
you saw it since he was three or four.
He'd smile every time he went to train or play a match.
He's always been like that. He really wants to not just play tennis
but play tennis while he genuinely enjoys himself.
It's fun for him.
Still, his trainers all said the same thing basically.
Carlos, when he trains, he takes it seriously.
He gives 100%.
Since I was a kid, what I've needed always,
when stepping onto the court, is give it 100%.
When I'm not at 100%, when I'm coming in second,
it becomes very tough for me, you know?
After a few weeks of rest,
a few weeks of recovery,
I was still bent out of shape about my forearm
because of the injury.
Taking anti-inflammatories? Yesterday?
And I was stressed about the next stop.
"What's the next tournament?" "Barcelona."
This is the tournament I anticipate going to all year.
That day was super tough.
So tomorrow, warm up.
If all goes well, it'll be a regular training day, competition.
But maybe we wait and see if all is well.
We're training, and you're worried, right?
Finish the series.
In the end, we had to tell him, "Get it together."
"You gotta show up because we might not make it to Barcelona,
and that… it'd be a real problem."
But eventually, it got to a point where I wasn't okay.
- You see it, right? - It hurts a lot.
Yeah.
I think that the most important thing
with the pain you've got is that you might not play 100%
because if he's already in his head, saying it hurts,
then how is he gonna face a match at 300%
He always has a hard time playing with those physical injuries.
I remember that, when he started getting cramps,
it's kind of like, he can't play, impossible.
Bottom line with the pain, can you compete?
After that training session, I was pretty wrecked.
And in that moment of frustration, I couldn't hold it all inside,
and the truth is that it complicated everything.
Very complicated for me.
6 WEEKS UNTIL ROLAND GARROS
When you get hurt, and you can't play the tournament,
last thing you wanna do is show up.
Though it was for Carlos to go to Barcelona,
you have to go and show your appreciation.
You have to take care of your fans.
Carlos!
The tournament invests a lot of resources in promotion, marketing.
For Carlos not to go would really hurt the tournament.
So it's important to explain it clearly,
that you've been trying to recover until the last possible moment,
hoping to get to Barcelona.
So it's important that you take all the time that you need, got it?
Plain and simple. Use your own words.
Got it? Take the time that you need, and explain it all.
You got this. Time to shine.
As of now, my objective is to try and get to Madrid,
but, uh… at this moment, I'm not sure. Thanks.
MUTUA MADRID OPEN PRESENTATION
There's a time and a place for everything.
Times you can afford to be a bit behind.
- And holy hell, do I know… - I get it.
…how tough it can be.
- But I know… - Yeah, and today, I need you.
- You have to be there. - I've got clarity on this.
I had made plans with friends.
Between the commitments, it dawned on me that it was getting later and later,
and, well, I got to the hotel
and knew we'd said we'd meet at four in the afternoon,
and then time went by.
That day, I was angry,
Man, I was angry with Carlos,
but not because he doesn't understand schedules.
Careful with the taxi. Watch it.
For me, what it was was a lack of respect for the other people,
and that's something I won't tolerate from Carlos.
But look, now we're early.
It worked out.
Who cares if you're number one in the world
if you're rude and expecting other people to accommodate you?
So I'll just tell them, "You gotta wait."
- No, I wouldn't. - I'm pulling your leg.
I know that I'm not in a position to make demands.
No. Correct.
I gotta bend the knee,
and I gotta just listen, and I gotta just take it.
And I know that. I really do. That's the good part.
- I know where I stand. - Perfect.
That's very important.
Ultimately, you're talking about a kid
who carries responsibility he didn't want.
But it's important that he understand that we, in his orbit,
what we're asking of him, it's just for his benefit.
Carlitos Alcaraz, you didn't make it to Barcelona.
Your intention is to make it to Madrid?
Or will you be in Madrid?
We're doing everything in our power to prepare
and speed up recovery,
and if all goes well, I think that, yeah, that I'll make it.
APRIL 2024
- What's up, bro? I look good or what? - How are you? Preparing?
- Preparing, man. - Are you going to tank us all?
Of course, of course, dude.
- And you? Good? - Super ready, super ready.
- Good. - I came here to see you.
In all the tournaments,
we have some mandatory press obligations to manage,
and we try to be creative
so those events we have to do can also be enjoyable for Carlos.
And the Topuria thing was just that.
Let's go over here for the photos.
Can I get a good one in? Do you think I would land one?
I mean, you can try to graze me.
No, no, man. I won't.
Okay, show me what you got, Carlitos.
- Got ya! - Oh, cheater!
- Owned! - It's obvious I let you win.
Let's sort this out right now.
Warning, I'm the total package, got it?
Hey!
Agh!
Shit, you were actually pretty damn good.
My parents have a pro court at home.
When my injuries improve and time permits, I'd love to play.
You've been getting hurt a lot.
Lately, more, a lot more than I should have.
The latest had been my ankle, and now this.
Let's declare to the universe that you're gonna avoid injuries.
- Absolutely. For sure. - Course.
- Knock on wood. - Can we get a picture?
One there and one here.
QUARTERFINALS
A little higher, middle area, no?
- The same spot, right? - Around there.
Feels a little tingly, but I feel that all over my body.
- I don't feel pain today. - Okay, let's take a look.
The consensus among us made it clear
that we hadn't actually taken a step forward
in removing his mental, uh, blockages of fear.
Carlos knew that, against Rublev, he needed to come in at 100%.
We have to be ready and make it hurt.
You gotta be disciplined.
- Get your head in the game. - Yeah.
- I'm serious. - I'm trying.
Good. Let's go.
Rublev, one of the best players in the world,
has incredible energy.
He hits unbelievably hard. Great forehand.
- What a shot from Alcaraz. - Great passing shot.
I started out pretty good and won the first set.
Out!
He's gotta be kidding with the speed of that forehand.
He won the first set, but he didn't really hit the ball for the most part.
And then suddenly,
the pain just started throbbing.
Woof. This wasn't in the script.
And I was screwed then.
Out!
That forehand giving him a hard time.
It's as if he can't squeeze his hand.
If we win the tournament with that forehand,
I swear I'm getting piss-drunk, eh?
- Out! - Fucking court-center shit!
The champ is having some problems
with those strange hits he's delivering.
Something has disconnected him from his game.
I realized that I needed to do something more,
but knowing that my forearm was bothering me,
it was really complicated to get out of my head.
This one stuck on the net, meaning Alcaraz exits the tournament.
I think, in that match,
that mental block of his happened to be the real problem.
Not good mentally, huh?
Soft.
Another day.
4 WEEKS UNTIL ROLAND GARROS
For me, it's a red flag.
to play with his forehand like that at 50%.
No, of course.
And up next is a grand slam, so it's five sets.
Tennis players with this type of injury can play.
He was just scared,
and rattles you physically and psychologically
because you know you're not at 100%.
We didn't come this far to only come this far.
We need to take the next step.
All he needs right now is time.
Sure, but the French Open is around the corner.
We're working with a margin of error that's too narrow.
- Hey, Carlos. - Hey.
- How you doing, bud? - Good. I'm gonna hit the shower.
Where's it hurt on your arm?
Don't know, and that's what worries me about it.
I'm not sure.
- Where specifically? - Honestly, I don't know.
- I don't know. - Okay.
The thing is I don't know if it's the same exact spot or not.
Maybe it's a different one.
I don't know if this pain is from yesterday
or today that I hurt myself. I'm not sure.
So doubt creeps back up in my head.
Am I gonna play again and hit my forehand at my best?
If I can get there, then when will I?
Happy 21st birthday
Have a wonderful day today
Your grandmother wishes you A happy birthday…
And many more to come ♪
Olé!
You're so sweet. Oh, you deserve it all!
Yeah, let's do this!
You're the best.
Whoo! Happy birthday!
Give me a slice!
Thank you very much, all of you, for all these years together.
Sometimes it's hard to bring everybody together like this.
I'm very happy to be able to enjoy my 21st birthday.
Honestly, it couldn't be better.
It's the most wonderful gift, and I'm so proud, so thank you.
He really is a family guy.
He loved being with his childhood friends at the party.
because it's when who's the most relaxed and can really be himself.
Well, Carlitos, so many birthday wishes with love.
And please know that I love you a lot, a lot, a lot,
and please know that no matter how famous you decide you wanna be,
that you'll always be my little brother,
and I'm gonna slap you over the head if you get all full of yourself.
He needs a bit of a distraction,
get out of the world of tennis and its demands and pressures
every once in a while
'cause it affects him.
And remember, he's only 21.
- You're so good. - He's only 21.
If you need to take some time for you, take it.
Nothing will change.
If you need to be home, be home.
If you need to go out, go.
There are times when I don't feel like playing.
There are moments when I don't wanna travel
and moments that I say, "I wanna stay here."
"I wanna be just the 20-something kid that I am."
MAY 2024
3 DAYS UNTIL ROLAND GARROS
The French Open is the only grand slam with a clay court.
It was the tournament I dreamed of winning
as a little girl.
To win in Paris, it's a special moment for everyone.
Game, set, match, Nadal.
Rafa made it his own.
Fourteen Roland Garros is crazy.
That'll never happen again, I don't think.
Carlos has grown up admiring Rafa,
so winning at the tournament that the king of the clay court did,
I mean, that is something he's wanted to achieve since he was a little boy.
Besides, he was…
at only 12 years old, already training there,
so he's always wanted to go there as a professional
and someday actually maybe win it.
Carlos has always been excited for the French Open,
ever since he was a kid.
What do you think?
Last week of training before going to Paris?
It's been good, honestly. Slow and steady.
Right now, he's good, It's more a question of…
- Getting out of his head? - Out of his head, yeah.
I felt like I was better, but in the end, it was clear.
If I became aware of it, even a little bit,
it would set me way back again.
What do you think just happened back there?
You've been hitting hard without missing.
Because that's what it'll take to win.
Every time I'd notice, I'd be like, "Crap, be careful, watch it."
Every time we failed before, we have to remind him,
More, more, more. Let's go.
We had to figure out how to unblock his arm pain on a mental level,
but no dice.
Welcome all to the central court of the French Open.
Welcome to our Philippe-Chatrier.
Nerve-racking moments with that knee. from the world champion.
Everyone looks pretty worried and uncertain,
including Novak Djokovic.
And it's over. The uncertainty now clear.
Alexander moves to round two.
Rafa Nadal looks satisfied with his performance.
And so this concludes his participation in this round of the French Open 2024.
The French Open is particular this year
because, for the last 20 years,
There's not a single athlete quite like Novak or Rafa Nadal in the finals.
Thank you, Rafael. Rafael Nadal!
And there's a new generation that's pushing to the top.
It's the reality.
And these young guys end up competing in the final round
of important tournaments.
- For you. - Ah, thank you. Perfect. Testing.
We're gonna ask a few questions.
Tennis today has the flexibility to experiment with exciting changes.
This generation's front-runners are Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
He's only 23 years old,
and he's the most difficult opponent that you can face.
Oh, no way! He is the best player.
He has long arms with really deep shots.
The Australian Open men's singles champion for 2024,
Jannik Sinner!
He'd just won Australia, his first grand slam.
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.
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.
No one can believe it inside the Hard Rock Stadium. Incredible.
He motivates me to wanna get better.
I wanna beat him, so he motivates me to be a better athlete.
Hi. How's everyone doing? Welcome to the best tennis in the world,
semi-finals of the French Open.
It's Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
First round, serving Carlos Alcaraz.
Fifteen-love.
He really started at a high level.
I'm not sure that I'll reach that level.
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.
A thrilling start by Jannik.
He's a perfect machine.
You push yourself physically and mentally.
Right, you go forward, just a hair looser. Make him run.
You got it.
In this type of situation, you gotta believe in yourself.
So we had to switch it up somehow.
I sped up my forehand a ton,
and hit it so much harder.
Speeding up his forehand.
Alcaraz needed to feel that power with his forehand.
We started seeing him powerfully use his forehand.
Finally at his level.
Game, Alcaraz.
It was a liberation.
But then came the third set.
And I started to feel a… bad cramp.
Something is happening with Alcaraz. There's a problem.
Remember last year, it was Carlos versus Djokovic.
It was a semi-final against the best player of all time.
Game…
When you're in front of 10,000 people
and you can't play at the level you should because of leg cramps,
it sucks.
It's screws you up that everyone sees you play like that.
He has to learn how to deal with pain
when he's not competing at 100%.
The best tennis players have played and competed
sometimes dealing with pain.
That was a tough loss for me.
And it will be horrible for the pain to return one year later.
I'm getting worse.
I'm not thinking clearly. Not sure what to do.
I'm sitting there looking at Juanqui.
And we realize that Jannik is starting to have problems.
It was surprising for Carlos to realize
that his opponent had the same issues he did.
At some point, we both were cramping a little bit.
I had my cramps in my hand.
I think he realized he didn't have to play spectacularly
but he needed his mental state to be spectacular.
Oh, holy hell, look what he just did.
That ball is gone.
Then it becomes a worthy battle
to see which one is capable of playing beyond this situation in front of them.
I thought, "Jannik, if you really wanna beat me,
you're gonna have to get me out on a stretcher."
He was then much better than me to find a way to win.
This shows again how… how mentally strong Carlos is.
And he did it!
The genius from El Palmar has gotten into the final here at the French Open.
Epic battle, five sets.
He won New York. He won London.
Sunday, he'll have the chance to win here in Paris.
The mental management in overcoming those problems
were a transition for him.
We ended up all enjoying it.
Suffered through, but we all enjoyed it.
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.
That's the…
I think that's the… that's the key.
A historic day for tennis with the final at the French Open
between Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz.
The pride it represents for Spanish tennis.
We aspire today to see the tenth champion ascend from our country.
Carlos Alcaraz, who at only 12 years old,
said, "I want to win Wimbledon,
but above all, what I want to win is the French Open."
- Name? - Carlos Alcaraz.
What would be your dream as a professional?
Win the French Open and Wimbledon.
The serve goes to Zverev, and, with that, the match begins.
Wow, what a hit!
What Carlos has managed to achieve, spectacular.
When you're in a final at the French Open, you can't think about anything.
You gotta just keep going.
Incredible what the Spaniard has done just now.
And he's done it. He wins it big.
This is the moment
when the promised land becomes the conquered land.
The champion of the French Open is Carlos Alcaraz Garfia.
It's incredible. We were on the edge of our seats.
A feeling of resounding happiness.
I'm so happy for him, so happy.
Very good. You've done it!
"This is yours. It's all you."
Champions, champions! Olé, olé, olé!
Champion of the French Open, Carlitos!
- Let's go! - Let's go!
- Yeah-heh-heh!
- We made it. - Yes!
Now I just need to… I need to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower
and hang from it like King Kong on the Empire State. You know?
Me and the Eiffel Tower.
Whoo!
So do we do now?
- Today, liquid dinner, kings. - Drinks on me tonight.
Tomorrow, we only do the kinda press that I like.
Going off the deep end.
Tomorrow, we are doing press, you and me, don't forget.
- I'm going off with Albert. - Very well.
- Total stiff. - Total stiff.
Stiffer than a dead animal.
You forgot already, didn't even bring a tie.
Oh no, man's right.
At 11:00 a.m., I'm gonna be banging on your door to wake you.
Make sure I'm alone.
Champions, champions!
Olé, olé, olé!
To see all my friends from my hometown,
my family, my whole team…
Hey, hey, hey, hey!
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
…I could relax.
I got to eat pizza. I got to drink whatever I wanted.
Wine, champagne.
Uh… a lot of alcohol.
It was an amazing, very beautiful, special moment.
I have hopes and dreams
to say, "Okay, beautiful things can come my way, for sure."
I want him to be the best in history,
but… not sure I can take it.
Not sure I want more, honestly.
"My point of view, Carlos, it's not the time."
"You're gonna make mistakes. You already are."
If going to the court becomes an obligation,
then we begin to have a problem, right?
You're the best!
I'm 21 years old, and right now, I wanna decide for myself.
If I'm wrong, I want it to be my doing.
No one should be deciding for me.
By allowing so many distractions,
you're drifting further from becoming the best in history.