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Carlos Alcaraz - Motivational Tennis Mind Quotes, Mental Profile & Biography

"I'm really happy with the things that I've done after that. I changed my style a little bit, I changed my game a little bit and I think it worked very well. I'm really happy to beat Jannik and be in the final again."

"I made mental changes while facing Novak in London in comparison to our Parisian duel. I did not know how to handle the pressure in Paris; it was a Major semi-final, and it's never easy, especially against someone like Novak. I prepared much better for our Wimbledon duel, intending to play more relaxed and perform better. I did specific mental exercises I lacked in Paris. They helped me to stay competitive and produce higher level."

"I believe in myself all the time. I would say that's the most important thing - not only for me, I would say for everyone, believing in yourself.  I always think that I'm going to play these kind of matches in this level. I would say that's the key of everything... with a joy. That's the key."

"You have to be focused all the time. Even in the tough moments, you have to be focused and positive."

"I wanted to be one of the best tennis players in the world, so I have to give extra in those moments in the fifth set, I have to show the opponent that I am fresh, I'm like we are playing the first game of the match. That works pretty well if the opponents see me that I'm moving well, I'm hitting the good shots, I'm finding good solutions. And of course, the mental strength plays a great part in that moment if you want to win the slams."

"Winning a Grand Slam is always special. Winning your first in every Grand Slam is always super special. But in Roland Garros, knowing all the Spanish players who have won this tournament and being able to put my name on that amazing list is something unbelievable."

“I think that real champions find the right level when it's needed. Obviously I would love to play a high level and my best tennis from the beginning until the last ball, but I think in tennis we play for two hours and a half, so it is the most difficult thing to do, to maintain your best tennis. When it's needed, it's great to find the good tennis. But sometimes I'm playing against an opponent who is playing better and you have to accept it and run and fight.”

"I just wanted to stay strong and wait for my chances. I think his level is high right now and he puts a lot of pressure on his opponents. Today I could feel it but in some moments he just made a few mistakes and I tried to make the most of those points and wait for my chances. The second set I saved those break points and then made the only break point I had that set. "In the third set I was just trying to play good tennis. When I was a break down I just tried to keep going and play aggressively and be strong mentally and physically."

“A lot of people have really high expectations on me, on having a really good clay season. Probably they want me to win almost every tournament, so it's [going to] be difficult to deal with it, I guess. But one thing that I learned the last month is I have to think about myself. I have to think about myself. I have to just think about my people, my team, my family, my friends, my close friends. No matter what happens on court - if I win, if I lose - I just have to leave the court happy. I'm proud about everything I have done. So that's something that I learned, and I think I did it this week and it paid off.”

“In the next couple of months in this clay season, I will try to just keep going the same way that I approached this tournament and not think about the people talking about expectations. Just I will [listen to] my close people and [when] my team have things to say to me, and that's all that matters to me. I will try to approach the clay season like this.”

“Probably ‘Stay positive’ is the thing that he repeated most this week. ‘Stay strong and stay positive’,” Alcaraz said. “One thing that he told me and probably was the key of this great week was, ‘You have to face the difficulties you have. Face it, not avoid it’. “I think that changed a lot, because in the matches, you have to face them, not be worried about them, not be afraid of them. When you realise and you accept it and you face it, everything is going the right way.”

“Talking about the things that I learned the last couple of months… is not thinking about anything else but enjoying on court. Something that I realised that I had to do is not thinking about anything else but enjoying. So I'm not thinking about the ranking anymore. Just keep going, making the things that I enjoy, that make me happy. It is [stepping] on the court, showing good tennis, and that's it. If I win, it is great. If I don't win, I will learn and just keep going and making the things that make me happy.”

"You have to give your heart. In those moments, it's where the top players give their best tennis"

"Obviously winning the US Open, when I reached for the first time the No.1, something that I dream since I started playing tennis. The way that I won Wimbledon, beating Novak Djokovic in five sets, has been a great achievement for me. Right now lifting the Roland-Garros trophy, knowing everything that I have been through the last month with the injuries and all that stuff. Just to be ready for this tournament with my team, a lot of talks with them".

"I talked to my coach Juan Carlos (Ferrero) before facing this final. He told me, 'you're going to fight for your third Grand Slam title, with everything you have been through, and you know the difficult part of winning a Grand Slam, and Djokovic has 24'. So it is unbelievable".

"Right now I can't think about it. I just want to keep going, and let's see how many Grand Slams I'm gonna take at the end of my career. Hopefully reach the 24, but right now I'm going to enjoy my third one, and let's see in the future."

"Watching Roger Federer is like looking at a work of art. It's elegance; he did everything magnificently. I became enchanted by him.

"I don’t have any limits, I don’t want to set any."

"Nobody gifts you anything, I believe. You don’t just click your fingers and have the world at your feet. You have to work at things."

"You have to be focused all the time. Even in the tough moments, you have to be focused and positive."

"I felt great playing today. I felt I played to a really high level. I just try to fight every ball, every point. It doesn’t matter which part of the court I am. Just to give myself the chance to still be alive in the point. I fight until the last point – just to fight.

You have to show the opponents you are good, you are fine."

"I do not fear anything, I don’t mind if I play against any player in the world."

"It is a huge honour for me to be part of those players who have achieved Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year. They are huge champions. I don't consider myself as a champion yet, not like them, but I will keep going to build my path, my journey. It is a huge honour for me."

“At the end of my career, I want to sit at the same table as the big guys. That's my main goal. That's my dream right now. It doesn't matter if I already won four Grand Slams at the age of 21. If I don’t keep going, all these tournaments for me, it doesn't matter."

"You forget the pain. You forget the fatigue, and you push through."

"In the end it is about trying, failing and improving."

"You have to give everything on court, everything you have inside. It is something I have worked really hard for and it is not time to be tired."

"I am clear about my goal, I am clear about my dream, which is to be No 1 in the world."

"I think I didn’t play as good as yesterday, but I think tennis is about not having a great day every day. So you have to play with your best that day".

"At the end of the day, I’m playing tennis, a sport I love. If you’re not enjoying yourself on court, you’re lost."

"You have to have a good goal, good dreams. Trying to follow your dream. Work hard every day."

"I’m not special, and nobody said I was going to be the best, I’ve worked for it."

"In the end it is about trying, failing and improving."

"You have to give everything on court, everything you have inside. It is something I have worked really hard for and it is not time to be tired."

"I am clear about my goal, I am clear about my dream, which is to be No 1 in the world."

"It hasn’t been a bed of roses, I’ve had to suffer and go through bad times to get here. I’m not special, and nobody said I was going to be the best, I’ve worked for it."

"You have to be focused all the time. Even in the tough moments, you have to be focused and positive."

"If you work hard, all the hard work, it pays off."

"I always try to be a good person first and then a good athlete."

"At the end of the day, I’m playing tennis, a sport I love. If you’re not enjoying yourself on court, you’re lost."

 "At the end of the day, I’m playing tennis, a sport I love. If you’re not enjoying yourself on court, you’re lost."

"You have to have a good goal, good dreams. Trying to follow your dream. Work hard every day."

"I’m happy about the way that I handled some situations, that I stayed there, even knowing that I wasn't playing great tennis. But I played with a positive attitude, with the right face always and trying to find solutions in some moments that I could do it. I'm really happy about it".

"At the end of good victories, you also have to enjoy them. You know, not to lose the feet on the ground but you have to enjoy them." 

"Every day is a new day, so the past day, you have to forget it and still focus on next rounds." 

 

"I try to focus on me, not on the social media."

"You have to show the opponents you are good, you are fine. But you’re dealing with problems all the time. You have to know that - and you have to overcome that."

"I’m hungry for more. I want to be at the top for many, many weeks. I hope many years."

"If you win it or you lose it, after the point you have the chance to think about it in a positive way."

"I do not fear anything, I don’t mind if I play against any player in the world."

"Nobody gifts you anything, I believe. You don’t just click your fingers and have the world at your feet. You have to work at things."

"I always say that my idol is Rafa but I want to say that I really want to play like Roger, I'm not gonna lie, you know, his style and elegance on the court is something amazing".

“I always say that I have to be focused on myself, on my own game. I think today I was more worried about his level, his game, than myself… So when you're thinking more about the opponent than yourself, then it is a big problem. So that's what happened today. Since the beginning of the day, since the morning, I was thinking about his game, because he's really tough, he's really solid, and it's going to be a really physical match."

"I’m not special, and nobody said I was going to be the best, I’ve worked for it."

In the end it is about trying, failing and improving."

"I think it was a really good match. I played great. I think there weren’t up and downs in my game. I controlled very well my emotions, myself on the court".

"I was really calm in the moments I had to be and I’m really happy with the way that I managed everything, the way that I played and to play a semifinal here again in Roland-Garros."

"Thanks to him, I push myself to be better, to be a better player, to give my 100 per cent every day, to wake up in the morning and want to improve my game to try to beat him".

"I’m very happy to be one of the players that leads people to start playing tennis and to want to watch tennis matches for the first time. That’s what I try to do, to have a style or a type of tennis that people like. I don’t just play for myself and for my people, I also play so that the fans are entertained. It makes me happy to be a player who contributes to tennis in that way."

"I love watching him play, as well. I’m ready to take that challenge. It is the match that everybody wants to watch, and I’m sure he’s going to show his best tennis – myself, as well, and we’re going to see who’s going to win."

"You have to give everything on court, everything you have inside. It is something I have worked really hard for and it is not time to be tired."

"I am clear about my goal, I am clear about my dream, which is to be No 1 in the world."

"It hasn’t been a bed of roses, I’ve had to suffer and go through bad times to get here. I’m not special, and nobody said I was going to be the best, I’ve worked for it."

"If you work hard, all the hard work, it pays off."

"I always try to be a good person first and then a good athlete."

"There will never be another like Rafa in history. I am Carlos."

"At the end of the day, I’m playing tennis, a sport I love. If you’re not enjoying yourself on court, you’re lost."

"You have to have a good goal, good dreams. Trying to follow your dream. Work hard every day."

"I just thought to go for it. If I lost it, at least I went for it. So that’s all I thought in that moment."

"Thanks to these kinds of matches, people who don’t watch tennis will probably start to watch."

“I'll start saying that when Jannik and I face each other, I think it's a really good thing for tennis because we always show a really intense match, really close match, great points, great rallies. I think for the people who don't watch tennis, probably thanks to these kind of matches, they’ll start to watch tennis or even practice it. I think it is pretty good. I try to enjoy as much as I can playing against him, but it's not easy. I mean, when you're able to beat one of the best, if not the best, tennis player in the world, obviously it seems like you're doing the right things, you're doing the right work".

"I'm proud of myself with everything I've done the last month, working really hard physically, on the court as well. It has been an intense month. But really happy to end it up with the trophy here in Beijing, with a really incredible match. I think both of us show a really high level of tennis, high level mentally, physically until the last ball running from side to side, showing really good rallies, really good points in the tiebreak of the third. I'm really happy to be able to get that win at the end."

"I know my weapons. I know that I’m able to play good tennis against him, [and] I’m able to beat him. That’s all I’m thinking when I’m facing him."

"I think everybody has [a] weakness. It doesn’t matter if we were playing on one surface or other – we are going to still have the same weakness"

"You can never stand still, you have to keep changing little things."

Of course, you have to change things. Jannik has said the same thing, that he changed things in the pre-season that perhaps we can’t see, but he feels that they’re different. To always be at the top you have to keep adapting to what’s demanded of you and changing little things to be better or just as competitive."

“Well, I didn't see him crying. That's a good thing to know, I guess. But yeah, I mean, it was a really special win for me, lifting this trophy in front of my team, part of my family. It was a great moment for me. I guess he got emotional at the end because we all know what we went through the last month or the last two months. It was a really difficult moment on the court, off the court".

"As I said in the speech, thanks to them I started to get the joy back playing the matches, practicing, I got motivated again. I really wanted to travel, to play tournaments again. Probably after the American swing, I was a little bit down, that I didn't want to touch a racquet for a while. I didn't want to travel, let's say. After that we talk a lot during those days, knowing that I have to be back practicing, be stronger physically, be stronger mentally just to overcome on those problems, let's say. The last month we've been working really, really hard on the court, off the court, just to be able to feel this moment again. I'm going to say that's why he got emotional. For me, it was special. For the people that are around me, it's a special moment. I’m going to say that's why."

"At the end of good victories, you also have to enjoy them. You know, not to lose the feet on the ground but you have to enjoy them."

"The Indian Wells semi-finals helped me try and find solutions".

"In the end, Jannik is one of those players who always maintains a high level and you have to try and find solutions in the match on the fly. I think that’s the great thing about tennis and that’s what we’ll try to do on Friday at Roland Garros.""

"At the US Open… What can I say about the US Open match? In the end, I played for five hours and 15 minutes at a very high level in a match that was extremely demanding, physically, mentally and tennis-wise. I think it’s one of the best matches I’ve played in my whole career, without a doubt."

"It doesn’t matter what I’ve achieved at this age if I now stand still."

“It was a really tough match for me. My first time on Centre Court at Wimbledon... I was a bit nervous, but in the end, we both played great tennis, at a very high level. I have to say that in my matches against Jannik I’ve learned every time I’ve played him, to deal with different situations you can find yourself in against him."

"Every day is a new day, so the past day, you have to forget it and still focus on next rounds."

"I try to be focus on me, not on the social media."

"The last few months were difficult for me because I didn't find myself. I was struggling to enjoy on the court. My family was telling me that I was not smiling as much as I was doing before".

"If you win it or you lose it, after the point you have the chance to think about it in a positive way."

"I do not fear anything, I don’t mind if I play against any player in the world."

"I think I'm a guy who doesn't need so much competition before a big tournament. Obviously it always helps, but I think I'm prepared to do good things here."

"I mean, it's an extra motivation for me. I'm an ambitious guy. I always want to play against the best players in the world to see what is my level. Obviously, it's a good test, playing against him in the places or in the tournament that he's almost unbeaten".

"I’m looking for reaching the final and hopefully playing a final against him. It would be great, obviously. But knowing those stats, it's an extra motivation, for sure."

"Everyone has their own perception of things. For some it is Djokovic the best, for others it is Rafa, for others it is Federer. I think to say who is the best is something that goes beyond the numbers. All three are the best in history".

“It means a lot to me, lifting this trophy, winning this tournament, because I overcame a lot of problems in my head, a lot of problems physically. It was so special for that… I'm really, happy to lift this trophy, because I found myself at this tournament, and I felt really, really good.”

"I try not to give it importance because the records I want to break are the ones that Novak (Djokovic) is breaking. These are the goals I have set for my career. Taking them away from legends like Borg is always a good thing, but if you put too much value on them, it can work against you".

"I think I'm always pushing my opponents to the limit. I'm trying to be aggressive all the time, just to play different shots. I think that I'm going to say the worst thing for my opponent, they are not going to know what's going to be next. They have to be aggressive. They have to defend well if they want to be alive in the point."

"I saw him struggling a little bit in the third set, but I was cramping as well in the third set. I learned from last year's match against Djokovic and was in the same position today. But I learned you have to be calm, to keep going because the cramp is going to go away. You have to fight. The third set was a little bit weird but the fourth set and fifth set were great points. We played great tennis and I am really happy with everything that I have done today, waiting for my moments."

"You have to find the joy suffering. That is the key, even more here on clay at Roland Garros. Long rallies, four-hour matches, five sets. You have to fight, you have to suffer but as I told my team, you have to enjoy suffering."

 

"Well, I always wanted to be one of the best players in the world. If I want to be, you know, one of the best players in the world, I have to be a good player on every surface, like Roger did, Novak, Rafa, Murray. The best players in the world had success on every surface".

“Well a lot of people talk about it and I hear it. I’m not going to lie, I hope so. I hope that our rivalry is going to be or almost be like the Big Three had during their whole careers."

“This is the first year that we shared all the Grand Slams. Hopefully it’s going to keep going like that, sharing great moments, fighting for the great tournaments, the Grand Slams, Masters 1000. So let’s see how it’s going to be in the future, the next few years, if we are going to stay like that at this level. I think we are going to build or create a relationship off the court as well. So hopefully I have him here on the tour for a long time because he pushes me to be a better player every day. He pushes me to practice at 100% just to try to beat him in the next matches. It’s great and hopefully we’ll have that rivalry that the Big Three had in their careers.”

“I am really happy with the way I am playing. Since I started the year, I have been playing great tennis. Tennis is not just about hitting the ball. It is about more than that. It is about mentality, physical side.

“With my game, I am really happy about it. If I don’t win, it doesn’t matter if I play well or not. People are not thinking about the opponent, they are just thinking about me. If I lose, something is going on, people say. I don’t think that is fair. I am just happy and ready to play well on clay. A lot of people might have said we should have played better tennis or won more tournaments, but I don’t think that is fair. I think the draw in every tournament is very open and a lot of players are playing good tennis and they deserve to be there".

“There are so many players who play well on clay and on all surfaces. In the clay season, I think it is going to be interesting. I see a lot of players who are capable of doing great things on clay.”

“I wasn’t hitting my forehand and serve like I had in previous days and I had to adapt and adjust to the conditions and Sascha was playing unbelievable, so it was not easy. Then I told myself to be more aggressive and if I am going to lose this match, I am going to do the right things and luckily it worked".

“I grew up on clay, playing on it until 19. On Tour, we don’t play on it as much but at the same time I have missed the biggest tournament on clay for the past three years and that was tough and now I want to enjoy it. I feel really comfortable on clay.”

Sometimes it's difficult because sometimes when I see the ball coming, a lot of things come to my mind. Sometimes it's difficult to choose the right decision. But I'm trying to improve that part of my game, trying not to think too much and do the right things always, even if it is not the brilliant shot or the brilliant decision."

"You have to go to the smart decision, just trying to be patient, trying to wait for your chances," he added. "If the points or the rally goes to 10, 12, 13 shots, you have to be ready for that battle. You have to be ready for that and try to wait until you can go aggressively. Sometimes it's difficult, but I think today I did it pretty well."

(See below for Bio.)

 

Carlos Alcaraz - Biography

Carlos Alcaraz Garfia is a Spanish professional tennis player who has won several major titles and ATP Tour-level singles titles, including the 2022 US Open, 2023 Wimbledon Championships, and 2024 and 2025 French Opens, and a rising amount of Masters 1000 titles.

He has been ranked as high as world No. 1 in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and following his win at the 2022 US Open, Alcaraz became the youngest man and the first teenager in the Open Era to top the singles rankings, at 19 years, 4 months, and 6 days old. 

In 2024 he became the youngest player to win 4 Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces, surpassing Rafael Nadal.

As a junior, Alcaraz was ranked as high as world No. 22 and won two titles on the ITF Junior Circuit.

After turning professional in 2018, he won three titles on the ITF Men’s World Tennis Tour and four on the ATP Challenger Tour and broke into the top 100 in rankings in May 2021.

In May 2023, he was awarded the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award.

He is known for his powerful and aggressive playing style, as well as his impressive footwork and court coverage.

Brief History

Growing up in Spain, this sensation started playing the sport at age 3, inspired by his family's love of the game, and particularly his grandfather, who was a coach.

As a child, he trained relentlessly, working on his technique and fitness every day. His hard work paid off, and he quickly began to show promise as a player - making his professional debut in 2018, at the age of just 15 - one of the youngest players ever to do so.

Major Achievements

This young tennis sensation has already achieved a number of impressive accomplishments in his career so far. Some of his major achievements include:

• Winning the US Open in 2022 and becoming world number 1 

• Winning the US Open in 2025 and becoming world number 1 once again. 

Awards and Accolades

He has already received a number of awards and accolades for his impressive performance on the court. Some of these awards and accolades include:

• 2020 ATP Newcomer of the Year
• 2020 ATP Challenger Tour Star of Tomorrow
• 2021 ATP Most Improved Player of the Year
• Named the 2021 Breakthrough Player of the Year by the Spanish Federation

In just a few short years, this young Spanish sensation has made a massive name for himself in the world of professional tennis. With his powerful playing style and impressive record of achievements, he is sure to continue making headlines and breaking records for years to come.

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