As the brightest star on the men’s tennis scene, Carlos Alcaraz draws attention whether he likes it or not. VANITY FAIR Style Correspondent José Criales-Unzueta speaks to the Spaniard about his rise to number one and the rivalry that promises the future of his sport.
Even as one of the youngest Grand Slam champions in history, he’s wary of being consumed by the sport:
“I’m aware that I have so much ahead of me, and I try not to think that I have 12 or 15 years left of my career because I get overwhelmed,” Alcaraz says, laughing. What he doesn’t want is to end up leading a monotonous life that makes him “a slave to tennis.
In recent weeks, Alcaraz has stepped away from competition due to injury:
“There’s been times in which I didn’t stop to take a break,” he says, “and that led to me not playing well, or becoming injured, or…” he pauses. “Let’s just leave it at that, that it didn’t end well.”
Addressing criticism that others have had about his lifestyle choices:
“Well, I think that nowadays we have to be way more careful with what we say, and what we do, but at the end of the day, we’re just human, you know?”
On his rivalry with Jannik Sinner:
“We’re showing the world that we can be on court and give our best, and try to do the most possible damage to the other while playing, try to beat each other, and then, off court, just be two guys who get along really well.”
But he’s quick to temper comparisons to the sport’s past rivalries:
“It’s not comparable to the historic rivalries that have happened in tennis, because we both have so many years ahead. Hopefully, we will continue playing against each other many times, at many finals, and that we will split the greatest tournaments.”
The intensity of the tennis calendar and its impact on mental health:
“I think it’s just as important, or more, than taking care of your body. There’s people who are, fairly so, obsessed with body aesthetics, but to me it’s just as important to take care of your head.”
[Photo Credit: Ethan James Green / Vanity Fair Magazine]
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