But his success didn’t come easy. His family didn’t have the money to support him and he had to turn to friends for help to make his dreams come true.

Here’s the story of Carlitos, the boy from a village in Spain who turned into a world champ – and still likes to play board games on weekends with his friends.

Carlos Alcaraz had a humble childhood

Alcaraz was influenced by generations of tennis-loving family members. According to Vogue, he grew up in a small village called El Palmar outside Murcia. Forty years ago, his great uncle built a tennis club and his grandfather Carlos joined the business venture. This love of tennis was passed on to Alcaraz’s father, also named Carlos, who played professional tennis in the early 1990s. Unfortunately, he eventually had to give it up because he lacked funding.

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“Carlitos”, as his family likes to call him, got his first tennis racquet at the age of 4. His three siblings – Alvaro, Sergio and Jaime – all have a keen interest in tennis and have competed at some level, too.

Carlito’s family recognised his talent and tried to plan a trip overseas for a world championship under-10s competition. Per The Guardian, the family did not have the money for the trip and tried to find sponsors. They eventually turned to a good friend who worked at a confectionery company to help them with finances. The trip was pricey but when Carlitos reached the finals, the sponsor agreed to fund future competitions too.

Keeping a low profile

Although he made history in 2022 after becoming a grand slam champion at the US Open and the ATP’s first ever teen No 1 at 19 years old, Alcaraz insists he keeps his life simple.

He regularly returns home, telling Vogue that he enjoys chilling with his friends at the park or playing board games at their house. The sporting champ is a keen chess player, explaining that the strategy that goes into the game is similar to that of the tennis court.

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Although his bank balance has changed dramatically, he said he leaves his father to “sort it out”. With the world at his feet at such a young age, he could easily fall into a lifestyle of partying and luxury. But the tennis star has worked with a psychologist to not only help with his past “aggressive” tendencies on the court, but to overcome stress while playing, per Essentially Sports.

Big earnings

According to Tennis Majors, Alcaraz has made more than US$13.7 million on the ATP Tour in singles and doubles combined. Of course, as his star begins to rise, big brands have jumped at the chance to work with the Spaniard.

Earlier this year, Alcaraz appeared as the new face of a Calvin Klein underwear campaign, posing in a series of black and white images. The Calvins or Nothing campaign features the brands signature men’s pieces: modern cotton, cotton stretch and cotton classic underwear.

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Last year, he signed sponsorship deals with Rolex and BMW. In June, he was also announced as a house ambassador for Louis Vuitton, cementing his status in the luxury fashion world.

But although he has brands jumping to endorse him, Alcaraz told Vogue: “I dress simply. I don’t really pay much attention to brands and cars. If I like something, I try to buy it, but in the end my father takes care of everything.”

At the same time, he does love Nike trainers. He said that he collects vintage models and wants to grow his collection. He currently has about 20 pairs of shoes.

He’s single (?)

The Spaniard was romantically linked to Maria Gonzalez Gimenez at the start of the year after posting an image of himself planting a kiss on her cheek. But in an interview with Vogue in February, he insisted that he has been single for 18 months.

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The 20-year-old told the publication that “it’s complicated, never staying in one place”. He said that staying in a relationship is difficult if you can’t share moments with your special someone.

Not much is known about her. British media reports that her career is unknown, but in one post she commented about writing a “civil exam”. At the time, she listed tennis on her Instagram bio too.