Born on May 5, 2003, in El Palmar Spain, Carlos Alcaraz found a love for the game of tennis at the age of three, and it quickly became clear that he had a natural talent for the sport. Currently 19 years old, Alcaraz is a rising star in the world of professional tennis and is believed to be the next great to come out of the sport. From his time in the junior tennis circuit until now in the professional level, he continues to break records and win trophies by striving for greatness.

Jerome Falcon (12) currently plays on the boys varsity tennis team and has committed to Colgate University to continue his career in the sport. Falcon looks up to Alcaraz and the achievements he has attained in such a short amount of time.

“The wins Alcaraz produces are inspirational to many young tennis players because he has shown it doesn’t matter the situation with hard work you can set your mind to anything and succeed,” Falcon said.

In 2019, Alcaraz won his first International Tennis Federation Futures title at the age of 16 and became the youngest player to win an ITF title since Rafael Nadal in 2003. The following year he continued to impress the world by winning two Challenger titles in Trieste, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain. In a short period of time, he broke into the top 150 in the ATP rankings and won his first ATP title at the age of 18 at the Croatia Open. This became another record smashed by Alcaraz as he became the youngest ATP champion since 2008 when Kei Nishikori won. This title allowed him to find himself in the top 50 in ATP rankings.

His greatest feat so far has come within this past year, when he claimed his Grand Slam title by winning the US Open and becoming the youngest Grand Slam men’s champion since Nadal’s win at the 2005 French Open. After such a performance, Alcaraz ascended to be the world’s number one ranking and becoming the youngest to do so yet again.

Libby Cheek (11) is on the girls varsity tennis team and has been to watch matches at the US Open in Queens, New York.

“I think it’s really cool that Carlos Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title this past year, especially for being the youngest men’s world number one,” Cheek said.

According to an article written by Gaby Wood at vogue.com, “With Roger Federer’s departure and the fading of Rafael Nadal – whose joint monopoly, along with that of Novak Djokovic has, in Brad Gilbert’s words, ‘wiped out about three generations.’”

Alcaraz by many is considered to lead the new era of athletes in tennis and even though his journey still has a long way to go with more titles and achievements to be won in order to fulfill his dream of being one of the world’s best in tennis. There is still no surprise that Alcaraz has the ability, work ethic and skills to hang with the players that have long dominated the sport of tennis.