Carlos Alcaraz begins his second Laver Cup campaign with the aura of tennis royalty. The 22-year-old will seek his second Laver Cup crown in San Francisco as the US Open champion and world no. 1, dethroning Jannik Sinner.
Jannik dominated the Flushing Meadows fortnight like few before him, dropping one set and three service games in seven encounters for another impressive display of his incredible tennis skills.
The Spaniard's return to the top has been everything butaccidental. The young gun earned it with relentless dedication from his early tennis days. Like every champion, Alcaraz went through sacrifices to get where he now proudly stands.
The road in front of the El Palmar native has been demanding, often requiring effort and focus on days when motivation was scarce. Yet, Carlos never strayed from his belief or forgot his dreams.
Thus, he embraced hard work on and off the court, sticking to theroutine that he knew would pave the way to greatness. Standing at the summit of our sport, Alcaraz reflected on how far he has come.
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Eight or nine years ago, there were peers who could outshine him. However, they did not have his persistence and determination. After all, tennis has been his life, his purpose and his dream.
Today, his star shines brighter than ever, with Carlos leading Team Europe at the prestigious Laver Cup in front of the legends like Rod Laver and Roger Federer.
Stepping into the black court as the sport's standard-bearer, the young gun is ready to inspire and compete at the highest level, this time for team and not himself.
"I have been working all my life to be in this position. I have cared for everything on and off the court, as it matters equally. It's not an easy road, and you have to work 100% every day, even if you do not feel like training, but you still have to go for it.
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While embracing a very long and complex journey, traveling has also been very nice. I never thought I could reach this far at some point, with many coevals performing better than me when I was 13 or 14.
Tennis was everything for me - it was my life. In my mind, I always dreamt about playing as a professional," Carlos Alcaraz said.
