Carlos Alcaraz Garfia was born on 18 May 2003 in El Palmar, a small town near Murcia in south-eastern Spain. He began playing tennis at age three, introduced to the sport by his father Carlos Sr., who had played at club level. His talent was immediately apparent, and by his early teens he had relocated to train under the guidance of Juan Carlos Ferrero — the former world No. 1 and 2003 French Open champion who became his coach and mentor for seven years.

Alcaraz turned professional in 2018 at age 15, but it was his 2021 US Open quarterfinal run — where he pushed eventual champion Novak Djokovic to five sets aged just 18 — that announced him to the wider tennis world. The following year he won his first Grand Slam at the 2022 US Open, defeating Casper Ruud in the final to become the youngest world No. 1 in ATP history at 19 years, 4 months.

His subsequent years have been defined by relentless improvement and an extraordinary ability to perform at the biggest moments. A 2023 Wimbledon title made him the first man since Mats Wilander in 1988 to win on both grass and clay in the same season. Further majors at Wimbledon 2024, French Open 2025 and US Open 2025 followed, with a Wimbledon 2025 final defeat to Sinner in between. Then the 2026 Australian Open title completed the Career Grand Slam — at 22 years and 8 months, the youngest man in tennis history to hold all four major titles, surpassing Rafael Nadal's previous record.

His game is defined by exceptional footspeed, a devastating forehand, a drop shot among the best in the modern game, and an almost unbreakable competitive spirit. In December 2025 he and Ferrero parted ways; his Australian Open triumph confirmed the transition has not disrupted his form in the slightest.