Carlos Alcaraz was recently honored in his home city of Murcia after being named the sportsman of the year, an accolade he shared with Moto3 World Champion Pedro Acosta.
Alcaraz is fulfilling the hype after emerging as the standout teenager of his generation back in 2020 when he made his full ATP main draw debut in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The success has swiftly followed. He won his first Tour-level title last summer in the Croatian city of Umag and outlasted seven of his contemporaries at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan at the end of last season.
This year, Alcaraz has exceeded expectations, with four titles in a span of four months to break into the Top 10 for the first time. He clinched titles in Rio, his first Masters 1000 in Miami, the Barcelona Open, and most recently, the Madrid Open.
His triumph in Madrid is perhaps understated. He defeated both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on his way to the crown. What is remarkable is that Alcaraz has not even hit his ceiling yet. He looks almost like a complete player with admirable mental strength that defies his age.
After celebrating his 19th birthday earlier this month, he has now been recognized for his tennis skills and for being an enormous ambassador of the Spanish city of Murcia, where he was born. The distinction honors him for elevating the city's exposure to the world through his tennis achievements.
Alcaraz did not play in Rome, opting instead to recover from niggling injuries and return to Spain to collect the award. Having risen to World No. 6 in the ATP rankings, he is among the favorites to win Roland Garros.
"I didn't imagine being third of the year and fighting to be first at this point, although one of my goals was to be up at the end of the season. I am very happy. It motivates me to be given as one of the favorites to win in Roland Garros and more than pressure it is a stimulus to give everything. I am feeling better and better and I feel energetic and eager and knowing that I have my options."