Born in the small village of El Palmar, Murcia, in Spain, Carlos Alcaraz has now established himself as one of the biggest names in the tennis world. He began his professional career in 2018 at the age of just 15 and then broke into the Top 100, almost three years later. In 2022, he became the youngest man and first male teenager in the Open Era to reach the summit of the singles ranking. It’s the same year in which he won his first major title. But as we all know, “Behind every success story is multiple failures and hardships.” Even Alcaraz once admitted that his family “didn’t have big luxuries.” But now, if someone watches his documentary, Carlos Alcaraz: My Way, they may conclude he’s someone who loves partying hard in Ibiza. And that didn’t sit too well with this ‘idol.’

Well, the miniseries that captured details about Carlos Alcaraz’s 2024 season was released on Netflix on April 23, where he opened up about his philosophy on his life and tennis career. In one of the most fascinating scenes from this documentary, his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and his agent, Albert Molina, repeatedly expressed discomfort with Alcaraz’s time away from the court, engaging in parties. Alcaraz faced a lot of criticism after this, and mostly it was around his work ethic.

But addressing those critics, he later said, “I’m trying just to think not about that. Yeah, I hear good things, bad things about that. So I just want to keep in my path, keep in my own way. But sometimes they found it, like, weird following that path, like enjoying life, not being such a professional that probably they could do it. But, I mean, I just, as I said, follow with the things that I want, that I like, my team, the things that my team tells me, my close people, my family, and my friends, and that’s it.” Highlighting this side of Alcaraz, which was portrayed in the documentary, Nadal took a jibe at Netflix, saying, “Knowing Carlos a little, I think the documentary doesn’t reflect his personality or the way he lives his career.“

In that same interview with renowned French media house, L’Equipe, Rafael Nadal added, “He doesn’t come across as a tennis player who trains, but as someone who loves to party, who needs that, and who isn’t very professional – and that’s not true. Carlos is a great professional. He’s a person who works very hard to take his tennis and his physique to the highest level. I think the documentary was misguided because people’s perceptions of him are different from what his real life is like.”

This particular documentary has stirred up quite a few controversies, and there have been a lot of discussions surrounding it in the media. For example, Carlos Moya, Rafael Nadal’s long-time coach, has explained why he thinks Carlos Alcaraz’s mentality is a bit wrong. In his documentary, the four-time Grand Slam champion spoke about how he wants to be the “best in history.” He said, “It’s my dream, but one of the keys for me is to enjoy myself. I’m the type who likes to spend time at home, which tennis doesn’t allow you to do.”

Talking about his approach, which was portrayed in the documentary, Moya said, “It’s a viable option if you want to win Grand Slams in the short term. In the long term, it’s complicated because tennis is a long-distance race. I see myself a bit like Alcaraz. I was 21 too, but it’s true that I was at a different level than him. The thing is, my ambition was never to be the best in history. Perhaps that’s what’s shocking. Wanting to be the best in history in that way.” Moya said it’d be a bit difficult for Alcaraz to be the best in history if he had a “normal life.”

He advised him not to rush on certain things, “Perhaps Alcaraz is demanding something of himself that doesn’t exist. He may be close to perfection at times, but he’s 21. He’s going to improve, he’s going to stabilize, and that will give him time.” Having said that, he also shut down the notion that Rafa was a “slave to tennis.” Moya delved into how Rafael Nadal, even outside of tennis, had a great life where he actively engaged in Formula 1 or motorcycling, adding, “It’s impossible to win what he (Alcaraz) has won without discipline, without hard work. He’s 21 years old and has the right to live what he’s saying. He doesn’t hurt anyone, and he keeps winning.”

Carlos Alcaraz has often hailed Rafael Nadal as his childhood hero, but he refrains from being called “Rafa’s successor.” Instead, in the documentary, he mentions that he wants to be known as Carlos Alcaraz Garfia. Interestingly, at the 2025 French Open, Alcaraz will get the chance to reunite with his idol yet again. But why?

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz gear up for the 2025 French Open

French Open isn’t just any tournament for Rafael Nadal, it’s the ‘Kingdom’ for the ‘King of Clay’. Out of his 22 Grand Slam titles, 14 have come from here. Perhaps that’s why he hails this tournament as the “most important tournament” of his tennis career. Something that is pretty close to his heart. Although he took retirement from tennis last year, but legacy is still widely celebrated across the tennis world.

Taking those celebrations to newer heights, previously French Tennis Federation president, Giles Moretton, announced that they will offer him a “tribute” for his relentless contribution to the tournament and also to the sport as a whole. May 25, i.e., Sunday, is the date of this mega event. But just days before this event, Nadal disclosed that he’s currently feeling a bit uncomfortable. But why?

“It makes me uncomfortable because I’m not very good at this kind of thing. I don’t really like tributes. I’m not a person who needs that sort of thing. I really don’t. I’m not someone with a big ego. I live well with a bit of anonymity, a bit of tranquillity. But I understand this moment at Roland-Garros because it’s a story we’ve lived together. But as I said, I don’t feel very comfortable at the center of attention. When I played tennis, yes, but apart from that, the tributes give me a bit of a headache,” he said in the interview with L’Equipe. 

On the other side, Carlos Alcaraz will be gearing up to defend his title at the 2025 French Open. Last year, he defeated Alexander Zverev by 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1,6-2 to win the title. Can he repeat a similar run this year?