Sunny, the fortnight was lit by a smile. The one that Carlos Alcaraz constantly carries around on his shoulder. He has the brilliance and carelessness of youth. It radiates an infectious warmth and glow that spills away from the lines of the court. Roland-Garros has seen Björn Borg’s headband, Victor Pecci’s diamond in his ear, Yannick Noah’s dreadlocks, Michael Chang’s underhand serve, André Agassi’s denim shorts, the short pants by Rafael Nadal or entrechats by Roger Federer, before falling under the spell of a smile. Painted on a face barely out of adolescence. Worn by a player who plays as he lives. For the pleasure of the game. An attitude that attracts attention like a magnet, fascinates.
“I have never seen a player of this level take as much pleasure as you”, amazed, confided Mats Wilander to Carlos Alcaraz who assures: “The smile is, for me, the key to everything. Juan Carlos (Ferrero, his trainer) always tells me that the important thing is to have fun. I try not to take things too seriously. I try to forget all that is serious and enjoy what I do on the court.
When some come forward and express themselves with frowning eyebrows, dark circles, dragging the tired air of haunted players, worn out by the urgency of the result, Carlos Alcaraz (20 years old) reminds us that tennis is and remains a game. The lines have remained the same as those that framed his childhood and his dreams. A detachment which, on the circuit, infuses. “One day in training, I said thank you to him. I owe a lot to ”Carlito”, because it’s a breath of fresh air. He really wants to win but he always has a smile. He has so much charisma, positive energy that he distributes to everyone. This also contributes to his development and consistency as a player. Last year, I wanted to apply it in my game and not necessarily on the technical aspects… I admire it for what it is. This is the reason why I am happier, happier when I play tennis, thanks to him”, reveals Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Smile, to open up. To offer. Wind cutting like a razor blade, feverish evening or cooler night, nothing fades the smile of Carlos Alcaraz. After having lived to the rhythm of the exploits of the trio made up of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, the tennis planet obsessed with the race for records wondered what it was going to be able to offer. Before being carried away by the charm, the pleasure and the desire for a childish smile. Contagious. Liberator. “I am a big fan. He is very humbled by his accomplishments at such a young age. You can see how much fun he has on the court. It’s not an easy position to be number 1 at such a young age. It makes a lot of noise, and so I admire it, ”smiles Denis Shapovalov.
Carlos Alcaraz who, since his adolescence, advances with the weight of comparisons with Rafael Nadal knew how to adorn his rise and his performances with a carnation in his buttonhole. Worn with grace, like the fragrances of a subtle perfume. A precious smile in an environment often double-locked where emotions are padlocked, except to scream after a scored point. The variety of shots from the Spaniard, the staggering speed of his races are praised, the (possible) progress dissected. But the most valuable is elsewhere. Antonio Martínez Cascales, co-coach of the prodigy explained to Mundo Deportivo: “We are not asking him to win another Grand Slam this year. Of course he will try. We only ask him to keep playing the way he does, to stay the way he is, on and off the court. This is one of the keys. When he’s not smiling, we tell him to smile. If we want a player to last, it’s even more fundamental. Early in his career, Roger Federer took care of his physique. Carlos Alcaraz must pay attention to his smile. So that his game is expressed in complete freedom…
