Carlos Alcaraz Garfia is a former ATP World No. 1 and widely considered the face of the next generation in tennis. By the age of 22, he had already captured four Grand Slam titles — the US Open (2022), Wimbledon (2023 and 2024), and the French Open (2024)—establishing himself as a defining player of his era. As of June 8, 2025, he is contesting his fifth Grand Slam final, aiming to defend his Roland Garros crown against new world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in a much-anticipated showdown. The two are widely considered the central rivalry of this post-Big Three era, with Alcaraz leading their head-to-head 7–4, including a commanding win in the Rome Masters semifinal just weeks prior.

From dethroning the Big Three at Wimbledon to dominating clay courts in Paris, Alcaraz’s meteoric rise has stunned even the most seasoned tennis analysts. But behind this extraordinary ascent stands a close-knit, hard-working Spanish family, whose influence runs deeper than most fans realize.

Alcaraz repeatedly credits his family for his success. “In my family, I think we have the sport in our blood,” he has said; “we all played from the time we were young.” He also emphasizes that his achievements are thanks to the people around him: “doing great in tennis because of the people that I have around.” A recent Netflix docuseries (Carlos Alcaraz: My Way, April 2025) underscores this point by offering an intimate look at his life off the court with his family.

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia’s parents and early life

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia was born on May 5, 2003, in El Palmar, a modest town in the Murcia region of southeastern Spain, to parents Carlos (Alcaraz) González and Virginia Garfia Escandón. Both his parents are of Spanish origin, and Carlos is the second of four sons in a tightly knit family. His older brother is Álvaro, and his two younger siblings are Sergio and Jaime. The Alcaraz household has always placed deep value on discipline, family bonds, and quiet perseverance.

Carlos’s father, Alcaraz Sr., was once a talented professional player himself, competing nationally and building a strong reputation in Spanish tennis circles during his youth. While he never broke through on the global stage, his passion for the sport endured. Years later, he became the tennis director of the Real Sociedad Club de Campo de Murcia — a club built by Carlos’s grandfather over four decades ago. It was on those very clay courts that young Carlos first picked up a racket at the age of four. His father served as his first coach and early mentor, carefully guiding him through his foundational years with a balance of technical instruction and fatherly wisdom.

From the beginning, it was clear to Carlos Sr. that his son possessed something rare — not just natural talent, but an almost obsessive love for the game. Carlos Alcaraz Jr. would often recount how his father never pushed him but opened the door. “He gave me everything I needed to fall in love with the game,” Alcaraz has said. It was this early grounding that eventually led to his enrollment at Juan Carlos Ferrero’s Equelite JC Ferrero Sports Academy in 2018, at the age of 15. There, under the mentorship of the former world No. 1, Carlos’s raw energy began to evolve into the polished, fearless tennis that would take the sport by storm.

Alcaraz’s mother, Virginia Garfia Escandón, played a different but no less important role. Though not a fan of sports in her early years, she embraced the life that came with marrying into a tennis-driven household. In her twenties, she married Carlos Sr. and worked as a sales assistant at IKEA while raising four boys. By all accounts, Virginia is the heart of the Alcaraz family — warm, quiet, and unshakable. Carlos credits her with keeping him grounded, often saying she gave him the humility that balances his competitive fire. At home, she cooked meals, kept the family organized, and ensured the boys were raised with strong values.

Despite his global fame, Carlos Alcaraz Jr. insists that home hasn’t changed. “When I’m not traveling, I still live with my parents and my three brothers in El Palmar,” he has said. “There, I’m just a normal guy to them.” He fondly recalls racing home from school to watch the French Open on TV, dreaming of one day lifting the trophy. That dream came true in 2023 and again in 2024 — and with every victory, his first hugs in the stands are almost always for his parents.

As for his siblings, Álvaro — the eldest — has at times been reported to be an actor, though this is disputed; what’s certain is that he played competitive tennis in his youth and remains closely involved in Carlos’s career. He’s a constant figure in his brother’s player’s box and part of the inner circle that travels with the team. Carlos’s younger brothers, Sergio and Jaime, are still students but also play tennis, with Jaime, in particular, making a name for himself in junior tournaments across Spain and reportedly getting ready to be invited to Nadal Academy junior events.

Tennis, quite literally, runs in the blood of the Alcaraz family — not as a career imposed from above, but as a way of life shaped by love, patience, and deep familial loyalty.

How parental influence shaped Carlos Alcaraz into a champion

Carlos’s father was the driving force behind his tennis journey. After ending his own brief pro career, Carlos Sr. turned to coaching his son. He introduced four-year-old Carlos to tennis at that family club and acted as his early coach and mentor before the mantle was handed over to Coach Kiko Navarro. Alcaraz himself says he “loved tennis from the beginning” thanks to his dad—recalling that his father “brought me my first racket,” and he immediately “fell in love” with the sport. Seeing Carlos’s talent, his father later secured him a place at the prestigious Equelite Academy run by Juan Carlos Ferrero (in 2018) to further develop his game.

Even on tour today, Carlos Sr. is a constant presence: he frequently travels to tournaments with his son, providing guidance and support. Carlos explains that his father is “a huge fan of tennis” who watches and records everyone’s matches and practices. (He quipped that his dad “probably” did film Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon—but “he doesn’t have any malicious intent,” he said.) Carlos emphasizes that having a professional coach (Juan Carlos Ferrero) means he doesn’t need “spying” video; he has ample footage of Djokovic from public sources.

While Carlos Alcaraz Sr. provided the technical side, his mother Virginia ensured discipline and stability. Virginia married Carlos Sr. in her early twenties and embraced the tennis life despite not being a sports fan initially. Her support has been invaluable: she often travels to watch Carlitos play and keeps the family grounded. After winning the 2023 Madrid Open, for example, Alcaraz dedicated the title to her: he wrote “Por ti, Mamá” on TV and said he would give her “a really big hug” because she is “always supporting [him] at home.”

He also frequently thanks her in interviews, noting that he misses her home-cooked meals on the road. “There’s no food like my mother’s anywhere in the world,” he laughed on camera, as his mother looked on. In fact, Alcaraz often says that after a big win he simply wants to go home and “eat with [his family]” and enjoy the “routines of being in my village” with loved ones. Virginia’s steady presence and care have helped him stay humble despite early success.

Carlos Alcaraz’s siblings and the tennis family environment

All of Carlos’s brothers share his love for tennis. Álvaro Alcaraz (the eldest) played competitive junior doubles (his last recorded match was in 2020). Although he didn’t pursue a pro career, he has been Carlos’s biggest supporter on tour. The two even roomed together at the 2024 US Open, and Álvaro is often seen in Carlos’s player’s box at major tournaments, through both victories and defeats. (At the 2023 Cincinnati Masters final, for example, Álvaro was in the stands, and Carlos later tearfully thanked him after losing in an epic match.)

The younger brothers, Sergio and Jaime, are active in junior tennis. Jaime (13) is particularly promising: in July 2023 he won the Rafa Nadal Tour under-12 tournament in Madrid, echoing the same junior title Carlos Alcaraz Jr. won years before. Jaime has even been invited to prestigious junior events (like the IMG Future Stars Invitational) and was spotted practicing at Wimbledon alongside Carlos in 2023. The entire Alcaraz household literally lives tennis: as Carlos says, having a family that all played the sport has been a huge advantage.

Wimbledon “Spygate” incident

Carlos Alcaraz Jr. and his family have mostly avoided controversy, but one notable media story involved Wimbledon 2023. As he prepared for the semifinals, his father was seen filming Carlos’s practice session—unintentionally capturing nearby Novak Djokovic on video as well. Djokovic publicly complained about the lack of privacy, calling for “more privacy” in training. Carlos quickly came to his father’s defense, explaining that filming Djokovic was inadvertent: “My father is a huge fan of tennis… being able to watch Djokovic in real life? Yeah, probably it is true he film[ed] the sessions.” He emphasized that this gave him no competitive edge: “I have a lot of videos from Djokovic on every platform… I think it’s not an advantage for me.” Journalists noted that Wimbledon’s open practice courts make such overlaps easy. In the end, the episode (dubbed “Spygate” by some) faded without penalty, and Spanish media largely supported the Alcaraz family as innocent observers.

Personal gratitude and home life

Through triumphs and setbacks, Carlos Alcaraz Jr. has never forgotten his roots. After winning the 2024 French Open, he ran to the stands to hug his parents. “For me it’s amazing to have you here supporting me,” he told them, recalling how he used to watch Roland Garros on TV as a child. “Now I am lifting the trophy in front of all of you.” The Netflix docuseries My Way (April 2025) reinforces this humble, family-oriented image: it shows Alcaraz still living at home in El Palmar with his parents and brothers, even sleeping in a twin-sized bed beside a wall of trophies. Viewers see him enjoying meals cooked by his mother and joking about her cooking being the best in the world. All of these details underscore Alcaraz’s gratitude for his family’s support. As he has said, winning “at such a young age” is possible “because of the people [he has] around.” His parents and brothers remain his constant support team, and Carlitos makes sure the world knows he wouldn’t be here without them.