Carlos Alcaraz's Australian Open title has not pleased everyone, with his parents once more resenting the idea of him continuing his trend of getting a tattoo when he wins a major title.
He is set to add the fourth tattoo to his growing collection as he finally completed the career Grand Slam with an impressive title in Melbourne. He played at an immense level throughout the entire event, surviving a thrilling five-set thriller against Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals before getting the better of Novak Djokovic in the final after finding himself a set down
to clinch the title.
After years of struggle Down Under, the Spaniard has finally achieved the goods in an area and time of the season where he has not been able to succeed in the past. It is a statement of intent for the rest of the ATP Tour, including rival Jannik Sinner, that despite the surprise split with Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz is still the one to beat as he extends his gap at the top of the rankings.
Tattoo trend continues, to his parents dismay
Alcaraz was always going to continue the prior pattern with winning Grand Slam titles and signifying it with some ink on his body. The tattoos he had got were a picture of something synonymous with the Grand Slam or the country hosting, with a kangaroo an obvious option for the world number one.
However, he is yet to decide where it will be located on his body. "I already know it's going to be a kangaroo. I just don't know the place. I'm just thinking about the leg but I don't know which calf, whether it will be the right or left one."
Being typical parents, Alcaraz's mum and dad were not totally onboard with the idea of permanent ink being implemented on their son's body. After getting his second Wimbledon title in 2024, he unveiled that he was not fully truthful when explaining his overall plan. "I told my parents just to calm them that it was just the first one in every major. But this is a really big moment. Probably I'm going to put the date of this one next to last year's. This one, I have to talk with them. A little one I can hide."
It first started as a 19-year-old when he won his maiden Grand Slam at the 2022 US Open. He stormed to glory at Flushing Meadows, getting the date of that success on the back of his arm. Three years later after he finally won the title once more, he added the
Brooklyn Bridge to finish it off.
He followed that with his Wimbledon success in 2023 with a Strawberry along with the date of triumph. Roland Garros was next, defeating Zverev in the 2024 final for a first major title on clay. The Eifel tower would be a solid choice with his latest trophy meaning that a kangaroo will be joining the club, completing the collection.
He is not trying to make them obvious, as he previously explained to Marca. "I choose a discreet location," he confirmed. "I'm not going to get one on my face or in the middle of my thigh, or anything like that. And they're relatively small tattoos, medium-sized. That's why they don't raise any red flags. It's under control."