Carlos Alcaraz first met Roger Federer at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, and it's a memory that was immortalized for him with a photo that he keeps in his room.
There is a video of a very young Alcaraz speaking with a reporter who asked him who his idol was. Back then, the Spaniard said that it was Roger Federer. While it might seem surprising that a Spanish player would pick Federer over Rafael Nadal, it just shows the impact of the Swiss Maestro.
Federer's impact on the sport globally and the number of players who grew up looking up to him is just tremendous. Alcaraz obviously favors Nadal as well due to their connection, but Federer might be the player he admires the most.
As fate would have it, they never shared the court in a competitive setting. By the time Alcaraz came onto the scene, Federer had already retired from the sport, but they shared the court together.
It happened at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, where the two practiced together, even though the Spaniard competed in the juniors there and not the main draw like Federer.
Asked about that experience ahead of seeing him again at the 2024 Laver Cup in Berlin, Alcaraz admitted that it’s a hugely treasured memory for him, one that he remembers very fondly.
"I was training today and Roger was in the gym, but I haven't seen him. I hope to see him in the next few days. I remember Wimbledon training as if it were yesterday. I will never forget it. It was a unique moment. I will never forget the first time I met Federer, I have the photo in my room."
Federer also spoke about Alcaraz leading up to the event, admitting that he should probably apologize to him because he turned down another chance to practice with him at the 2019 event, which, in retrospect, might be tough to hear for the Spaniard.
Maybe they get time to practice a bit in Berlin together, as both are there for the Laver Cup, even though, obviously, only one in a playing capacity.
"I only practiced once with him at Wimbledon when he was still a junior, and then the next day, my coach said, ‘Do you want to warm up with him again?’ and I said, ‘No, it’s okay, I’d rather warm up with his coach, who was my generation, Juan Carlos Ferrero.’ I can apologize to Carlos this week."
This year's Laver Cup should be a very interesting experience for all the players involved, especially for Alcaraz, who will play at the event for the first time. He's excited to soak in a very different experience to what he's normally used to and work with players who are generally his opponents.
The Spaniard is expected to lead the team forward and bring the win back to Europe after Team World won the previous two editions.