History of Carlos Alcaraz in Timeline
Carlos Alcaraz Garfia, a Spanish professional tennis player currently ranked world No. 3, has achieved the top ranking in men's singles by the ATP. He holds 13 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including two major titles and five Masters 1000 titles. Notably, his 2022 US Open victory made him the youngest man and first teenager in the Open Era to achieve the world No. 1 ranking at the age of 19 years, 4 months, and 6 days.
1963: Koch's Historic US Open Run
In 1963, Thomaz Koch, at the age of 18, achieved a historic feat by becoming the youngest men's quarterfinalist at the US Open in the Open Era, setting a record that would stand for several decades.
1973: Establishment of the ATP Rankings
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings were established in 1973, marking a significant development in professional tennis, providing an objective system for ranking players based on their performance.
1989: Chang and Sampras Make History at the US Open
In 1989, Michael Chang and Pete Sampras, both at the age of 17, made history by becoming the youngest players to reach the fourth round of the US Open, a record that would stand for many years.
1990: Chang's French Open Quarterfinal Run
In 1990, Michael Chang, at the age of 18, reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, setting a new record for the youngest player to achieve that feat in a Grand Slam tournament.
1992: Medvedev's French Open Breakthrough
In 1992, Andrei Medvedev, at the age of 17, made a remarkable run to the fourth round of the French Open, establishing a record for the youngest player to reach that stage in a Grand Slam tournament.
2002: End of the "Big Four" Dominance
In 2002, Lleyton Hewitt became the last player outside of the "Big Four" (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray) to win a Wimbledon title, marking a significant shift in the tennis landscape.
2002: Wimbledon Champion
In 2002, Lleyton Hewitt won the Wimbledon Championships, becoming the first non-"Big 4" player to achieve this feat.
May 2003: Birth of Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz Garfia was born in May 2003 in El Palmar, Murcia, Spain.
May 2003: Birth of Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz Garfia was born on May 5th, 2003, in El Palmar, Murcia, Spain, to parents Carlos Alcaraz González and Virginia Garfia Escandón.
2004: Youngest Player to Defeat World No.1
In 2004, Rafael Nadal set a record by becoming the youngest player to defeat a reigning world No. 1, a feat that would later be matched by Carlos Alcaraz.
2004: Nadal's First ATP Title
In 2004, Rafael Nadal, at the age of 18, secured his first ATP title at the Sopot Open, marking the beginning of his illustrious career.
2004: Nadal's Early Success in Madrid
In 2004, a young Rafael Nadal made history at the Madrid Open by becoming the youngest match winner in the tournament's history, setting a record that would later be broken by Carlos Alcaraz.
April 2005: Nadal Breaks into the Top 10
In April 2005, Rafael Nadal reached a significant milestone in his career by breaking into the top 10 of the ATP rankings at the age of 18, becoming one of the youngest players to achieve that feat.
2005: Nadal's Ascent to World No. 2
In 2005, Rafael Nadal achieved a significant milestone by reaching the world No. 2 ranking, consolidating his position as one of the top players in the world.
2008: Nishikori's Historic Win in Delray Beach
In 2008, Kei Nishikori made history by becoming the youngest ATP tour-level champion at the age of 18, a record that would later be surpassed by Carlos Alcaraz.
2017: Indian Wells Champion
In 2017, Alcaraz achieved a significant milestone by winning the Indian Wells Open without dropping a set, a feat that hadn't been accomplished since Roger Federer achieved the same in 2017.
2018: Alcaraz Begins Training at Juan Carlos Ferrero's Academy
In 2018, Carlos Alcaraz made a pivotal decision in his burgeoning tennis career by relocating to Villena to train at the esteemed Equelite JC Ferrero Sport Academy, under the tutelage of former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero.
2019: Turning Professional
Carlos Alcaraz embarked on his professional tennis career in 2019, at the age of 16, following a successful junior career.
February 2020: Alcaraz's ATP Main-Draw Debut
In February 2020, at the age of 16, Carlos Alcaraz made his much-anticipated debut in the main draw of an ATP tournament at the Rio Open, where he received a wildcard entry.
May 2021: Alcaraz Breaks into the Top 100
In May 2021, Carlos Alcaraz achieved a significant milestone in his career by entering the top 100 of the ATP rankings at the young age of 18, becoming the youngest player to do so at that time.
May 2021: Alcaraz Breaks into the Top 100
In May 2021, Carlos Alcaraz made a significant breakthrough by entering the top 100 of the ATP rankings at the young age of 18, following his victory in the 2021 Open de Oeiras III Challenger tournament.
July 2021: Alcaraz's Maiden ATP Title
In July 2021, Carlos Alcaraz achieved a significant milestone in his career by winning his first ATP title at the Croatia Open Umag, defeating Richard Gasquet in the final.
2021: US Open Champion
In 2021, Daniil Medvedev won the US Open, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final.
2021: Alcaraz-Sinner Rivalry Begins
The rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner began in 2021.
January 2022: Brand Ambassador for Rolex
In January 2022, Carlos Alcaraz became a brand ambassador for Rolex, marking a significant endorsement deal in his career.
February 2022: Alcaraz Cracks the Top 20 and Wins First ATP 500 Title
In February 2022, Carlos Alcaraz reached a new milestone by breaking into the top 20 of the ATP rankings and securing his first ATP 500 title at the Rio Open.
March 2022: Alcaraz's First Masters 1000 Title
At the age of 18, Carlos Alcaraz achieved a major career milestone in March 2022 by winning his first Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open.
May 2022: Alcaraz Defeats Nadal, Djokovic, and Zverev to Win Madrid Open
In a stunning display of skill and determination, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev in consecutive matches to claim the Madrid Open title in May 2022. This victory made him the youngest champion in the tournament's history and propelled him to a career-high ranking of world No. 6.
July 2022: Alcaraz Reaches World No. 5 and First Final Loss
In July 2022, Carlos Alcaraz continued his meteoric rise by reaching a new career-high ranking of world No. 5. However, he also experienced his first defeat in a tournament final at the Hamburg Open, losing to Lorenzo Musetti.
2022: Season End & Abdominal Tear
Despite suffering losses at the Davis Cup Finals and Astana Open, Alcaraz reached the semifinals in Basel, where he was defeated by Auger-Aliassime. At the Paris Masters, he retired due to an abdominal tear, ending his season prematurely. However, he concluded 2022 as the youngest and first teenager world No. 1 at 19 years and 214 days old.
2022: US Open Champion & World No. 1
In 2022, Carlos Alcaraz won the US Open, defeating Casper Ruud in the final. This victory made him the youngest world No. 1 in ATP Rankings history at 19 years old. He also became the first teenager in the Open Era to achieve this ranking and the youngest US Open men's champion since 1990.
2022: Alcaraz Becomes the Youngest World No. 1 in the Open Era
In 2022, Carlos Alcaraz achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the youngest male tennis player to attain the world No. 1 ranking in singles during the Open Era.
2022: US Open Quarterfinal
In 2022, Alcaraz and Sinner faced each other in the US Open quarterfinals, with Alcaraz emerging victorious after saving match points.
January 2023: Ambassador for Calvin Klein
In January 2023, Alcaraz became an ambassador for the American clothing brand Calvin Klein, particularly for their 1996 underwear campaign.
March 2023: Indian Wells & Miami Open
In March 2023, Alcaraz won the Indian Wells Open, defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final. This victory marked his eighth career title and third Masters 1000 title. He became the first player since 2017 to win the tournament without dropping a set and reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking. However, he lost in the semifinals of the Miami Open to Jannik Sinner, dropping to No. 2 in the rankings.
June 2023: Ambassador for Louis Vuitton
In June 2023, Alcaraz further expanded his brand endorsements by becoming a brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton.
2023: French Open Semifinal
In the 2023 French Open, Alcaraz reached the semifinals but was defeated by Novak Djokovic in four sets. He experienced cramps during the match, which he later attributed partly to nerves due to the high-stakes match against Djokovic. This loss resulted in Djokovic regaining the world No. 1 ranking.
2023: Miami Semifinal
In 2023, Sinner defeated Alcaraz in the semifinals of the Miami Open.
2023: Alcaraz's Wimbledon Victory
In 2023, Carlos Alcaraz secured his second Grand Slam title by triumphing at the Wimbledon Championships. This victory marked the first time since 2002 that a player outside of the "Big Four" had won the prestigious tournament.
2023: Alcaraz Wins Indian Wells and Madrid Masters
In 2023, Carlos Alcaraz added two more Masters 1000 titles to his collection by winning the Indian Wells and Madrid Open tournaments.
2023: Wimbledon Champion & World No. 1
In 2023, Alcaraz won his first grass-court title at the Queen's Club Championships, defeating Alex de Minaur. This victory also returned him to the world No. 1 ranking. He then went on to win the Wimbledon Championships, defeating Novak Djokovic in a five-set final, securing the world No. 1 ranking. This win marked the end of Djokovic's streak of four consecutive Wimbledon titles. Alcaraz became the first non-"Big 4" player to win Wimbledon since Lleyton Hewitt's victory in 2002.
2023: Indian Wells Title Defense & Miami & Madrid Open
In 2023, Alcaraz successfully defended his Indian Wells title, defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final. This was his first title since Wimbledon in 2023. He reached the quarterfinals in Miami but lost to Grigor Dimitrov for the second consecutive time. In Madrid, he lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Andrey Rublev and withdrew from Rome due to a forearm injury.
2023: South American Swing
In 2023, Alcaraz started his season by winning his seventh title at the Argentina Open, defeating Cameron Norrie. Although he reached the finals in Rio Open, he lost to Norrie in three sets. He had to withdraw from Acapulco due to a hamstring injury.
2023: Losses & US Open Title Defense
In 2023, Alcaraz faced losses in the quarterfinals of Toronto and the Cincinnati final, losing to Tommy Paul and Novak Djokovic, respectively. He then attempted to defend his US Open title but was defeated by Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals, dropping to No. 2 in the rankings. Due to tiredness, he withdrew from the Davis Cup Finals.
2024: 2024 Australian Open
Current through the 2024 Australian Open, Carlos Alcaraz continues to be a significant presence in the tennis world.
2024: Australian Open Quarterfinals
In 2024, Alcaraz reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, his best performance in the tournament so far. However, he was defeated by Alexander Zverev in four sets.
2024: South American Swing & Injury
In 2024, Alcaraz started his South American swing as the defending champion at the Argentina Open, winning his first two matches. However, he lost in the semifinals to Nicolás Jarry. The following week, he had to retire from the Rio Open due to a right ankle injury. He was later diagnosed with a lateral sprain of his right ankle, but it was expected that he would return to competition in a few days.
2024: Greatest Forehand of All Time
In 2024, Mats Wilander declared that Alcaraz has the "greatest forehand of all time", while Tim Henman noted it was one of the "most devastating shots in the game right now".
2025: Netflix Docuseries
Carlos Alcaraz will be the subject of a Netflix docuseries produced by Morena Films, set to release in 2025. He had previously appeared in both seasons of Netflix's Break Point docuseries.