Carlos Alcaraz reveals the aspects of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal he wants to emulate

Kevin Palmer
Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz has revealed there is a big aspect of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s personalities that he hopes to emulate.

Speaking on the Louis Vuitton [EXTENDED] podcast, the four-time Grand Slam champion opened up on a variety of topics and when he was asked when he learned from tennis icons Federer and Nadal, he suggested their demeanour off the court was just as impressive as their brilliance on it.

“I think the most important thing is being kind, being a good person,” said Alcaraz.

“For me, it’s the most important thing. And of course, behave well on the court. Give good values when you’re on court and off the court, that could be a good influence for the kids.

“When I see some players being so rude, I feel like, ‘What happened with this guy?’ When I see one of my idols, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer… you know, being so kind all the time, and performing pretty well on the court.

“When I started, I felt they were being such great guys for me. I was, ‘Okay, I really want to be like these guys’, and I want to be the same for the kids.”

Novak Djokovic is often mentioned as part of the ‘Big 3’ in men’s tennis, but Alcaraz opted not to mention the Serbian in his comments suggesting he wanted emulate Federer and Nadal.

Alcaraz also opened up on his relationship with long-term coach and former world No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, as he poured praise on his mentor.

“Probably thanks to Juan Carlos, I’m the player I am right now,” he added. “We spend a lot of time together, we travel a lot, and thanks to that, I could learn a lot from him as a person, as a player.

“He told me the importance of being a good person off the court and the things that you’re doing outside are going to have a huge impact on the court.

“Then, of course, my father, who used to play tennis when he was young. His passion, his life is tennis, that’s what he taught me.

“Playing tennis with passion, with love. If I choose that tennis is my life, do it with passion. I think that’s a pretty good lesson I learned from him.”

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We can expect more revelations from Alcaraz later this month, with his much-hyped Netflix show that is due to be released on April 23.

The poster for the show has now been released, with Alcaraz filling the tennis space on Netflix created by their decision to stop making Break Point, the show that dipped behind the scenes on the ATP Tour and WTA Tour.


“Carlos Alcaraz: My Way is a documentary series produced by Morena Films for Netflix that portrays the youngest No 1 in tennis history,” said a Netflix press release.

“We follow Carlos Alcaraz during the 2024 season, getting closer to the young prodigy who is revolutionizing the world of sports. We will get to know not only the tennis player but also the off-court life of one of the best sportsmen in the world. An incredible journey through the eyes of Carlos Alcaraz.

“This new 3-episode Netflix documentary series is produced by Juan Gordon and Álex Martínez Roig for Morena Films (Celd 211, Mother’s Love), directed by Jorge Laplace (LaLiga: All Access, Locomía) and written by Edu Salan and Jorge Laplace.”

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