The stadium is loud. The rally is long. The point ends with a miss. For most players, that moment brings frustration. But Carlos Alcaraz does something different. He smiles. It is not forced. It is not for the cameras. It is simply who he is on a tennis court that makes him unstoppable. That difference became clear in a short off-court interview that revealed the heart of the World No. 1.

Just recently, popular host Ben Johnson invited Carlos Alcaraz for an off-court interview, which he later shared on his Instagram. When asked how it feels to stand at the very top of the sport, Alcaraz replied with honesty, saying,  “It feels good, to be honest. It’s a great sport to be and the sport that I was looking for.” Then came the question that fans everywhere already knew the answer to.

The host pointed out how Alcaraz always smiles. After winning points. After losing points. In pressure moments. In break points. And he asked him how important that mentality really is.

“The first thing you gotta do is enjoy what you’re doing,’ said the Spaniard. “That’s what I’m trying to do every time. Enjoying that I’m playing tennis. Enjoy that I step on the court, and I appreciate every moment.  If I lose, if I win, but when it is a really good point, I really enjoy it. So it doesn’t matter what’s happening on the court. I just appreciate that I’m stepping on a tennis court.”

At 22, Alcaraz already understands something many athletes take years to learn. Rankings change. Trophies fade into memory. But joy is what keeps a player alive in the sport. But he wasn’t always this calm. His toughest battles weren’t just on court against someone like Jannik Sinner for the world number one spot; they were in his own mind.

How Carlos Alcaraz learned to master his mind

Carlos Alcaraz’s journey to the top of tennis has felt like a whirlwind. He won his first Grand Slam at the US Open when he was just 19, and suddenly the hype around him exploded. Since then, he has gone on to lift six major titles. But with all that attention came a lot of pressure. Alcaraz has been honest about how, in the early days, criticism used to get into his head and affect how he felt on court.

He has also spoken openly about dealing with “negative thoughts” and the stress that builds during big matches. Like many young athletes, he has had moments where the pressure felt heavy. Instead of trying to ignore it, Alcaraz chose to talk about it and seek help. Working with a psychologist helped him understand his emotions better and gave him tools to stay calm when things get tense.

For nearly five years now, he has been working closely with sports psychologist Isabel Balaguer, and he credits her with making a real difference in his career. Alcaraz has even shared that after one of his early big wins, he went through a tough phase where he felt mentally tired and struggled to find motivation.

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As he says, “I try not to think about it too much, because there was a time when I was really influenced by criticism, and that was a very difficult time,” Alcaraz said. “So now I try not to give too much weight to certain words that are said. Over the years, I’ve realized that every small step counts and that you can learn even from defeats. You don’t have to be a star every day; the important thing is to be consistent and strive to improve. Always.”

That mindset, focused on growth rather than noise, is a big reason why he reached the world number one spot.