"There are times when I don't enjoy myself on the court" - Carlos Alcaraz gives candid take on the reality of competing on the ATP Tour
ATPSaturday, 05 April 2025 at 08:30
Although the stars of the ATP tour appear to relish the time they spend on court, there are moments when competing and pushing forward can be difficult, admits Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz.
The former World No.1 suffered a shocking opening round loss to Belgian veteran David Goffin at last week's Miami Open. Alcaraz did win his first title of the 2025 ATP season at the Rotterdam Open in February, but has failed to reach another final since, losing in matches where he was the undeniable favorite.
Losing a match can leave you with mixed emotions, says Alcaraz
In an interview with French fashion brand Louis Vuitton, the reigning Wimbledon champion revealed life as a professional athlete was not all glitz and glamour. Alcaraz opened up on his mindset after losing tough matches, stating his mood was often dictated by how well or badly he played during the match.
"Of course, there are times when I don't enjoy myself on the court because it's difficult to handle the pressure, but I tell myself that I'm living the dream I had as a child," said the four-time Grand Slam champion. "I've always wanted to be part of the history of this sport. There are matches where I lose and I leave proud of what I did, while others take a few days to absorb because the frustration of defeat is so strong. What is certain is that you learn more from defeats than from victories."
Alcaraz is slated to compete at next week's Monte-Carlo Masters ATP 1000 event, where he has a first-round bye as the second seed.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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