Carlos Alcaraz's younger brother Jaime is making some noise at the junior level, but the 14-year-old's coach is urging the public to stop comparing the teenager to the six-time Grand Slam champion because it can only do harm at this stage of his development.
Carlos was just 19 when he became a Grand Slam champion at the 2022 US Open and reached the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career. Today, at the age of 22, the Spanish tennis superstar already has six Majors in his collection and he is widely tipped to one day go down as one of the greatest players in tennis history. Not only that, but some even believe that the reigning US Open winner has what it takes to potentially beat the Slam records of the Big Three.
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While Alcaraz became the face of Spanish tennis following Rafael Nadal's retirement, he also has a younger brother Jaime. During the summer, Jaime was a member of the Spanish team at the European Championships and won the title. Also, he made the semifinal in the U-14 Spanish National Championships tournament.
And because of Alcaraz's astonishing success at 22, some are already looking at his younger brother and wondering how much he will be able to do once he turns pro.
Jaime Alcaraz's coach: Stop the comparisons, there is only one Carlos
"He's an ambitious kid and he'll be talked about. Jaime is progressing very well and is at his own pace. There's only one Carlos, and we have to look up to him, but we have to avoid comparisons because everyone has to follow their own path and enjoy tennis," coach Ramon Abenza Sanchez noted.
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"The Alcaraz phenomenon has been very beneficial for us in Spain, where Rafa Nadal was at the top for so many years, and even more so in Murcia. Players come here from abroad, and that also raises the level. We've seen Carlitos since he was a child, and he's a role model, as is his work method. The joy and intensity with which he trains, something that's immediately evident, also helps us coaches do our job."
When Alcaraz first introduced himself to the big scene in 2022, he instantly drew constant comparisons to Rafael Nadal. Nadal didn't like that a bit, urging the public several times to stop with the comparisons because he feared it could put major pressure on then the rising star and negatively impact his career.
