Fans noticed a date tattooed on Carlos Alcaraz's arm during his opening match at the 2025 Indian Wells Open, and it has been confirmed to be linked to his upcoming Netflix documentary.
Two-time defending champion Alcaraz easily defeated Quentin Halys to kick off his Indian Wells campaign. The 21-year-old comfortably won without needing to play his best tennis.
Alcaraz very deliberately had 23. 4. 25 tattooed on his right arm during the match. That led to speculation about why that date was notable, with some immediately guessing that it was linked to the previously announced Netflix documentary.
The four-time Grand Slam champion previously signed a camera lens with N, accompanied by "see you soon," which was another hint at his documentary.
Alcaraz's tattoo is only temporary and might be worn off by the time he plays Denis Shapovalov in the round-of-32 in Indian Wells, avoiding any complex mechanisms required to remove permanent tattoos.
The documentary on Netflix, which has already been completed, will follow Alcaraz during the 2024 season. It should be fascinating to watch since last year was a roller coaster ride for the Spaniard.
For the first time, Alcaraz won two Grand Slams during the same season. The first was at the French Open, where he defeated Alexander Zverev in a five-set match. He also beat his young rival, Jannik Sinner, in five sets in the semifinal.
A few weeks later, Alcaraz secured a second Wimbledon title, overcoming Novak Djokovic in straight sets. The Serbian was hampered somewhat by a knee problem in that match, but that does not diminish the world No. 3's achievement.
However, challenging moments followed those triumphs. Alcaraz was left in tears after being beaten by Novak Djokovic in the Olympic gold medal match, falling 6-7, 6-7, after a serving masterclass from the 37-year-old.
Although Alcaraz outlasted Sinner to win the China Open final, the rest of 2024 proved difficult overall. He was stunned in the second round of the US Open by Botic van de Zandschulp in one of the most significant Grand Slam upsets ever.
The worldwide star also could not help Rafael Nadal win the Davis Cup in his final professional appearance before retirement despite beating Tallon Griekspoor in the second singles rubber of the tie.
Unfortunately for the fans in Malaga, Nadal lost what turned out to be his final professional appearance against van de Zandschulp before the Dutchman teamed up with Wesley Koolhof to beat Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers to seal the tie 2-1 in the Netherlands' favor.
Hopefully, the documentary can offer some interesting insights into the highs and lows that Alcaraz faced during 2024. That season will probably be remembered as one of the most dramatic of the two-time Wimbledon winner's career, which should provide the basis of a great documentary.
After the announcement date, Alcaraz will remain focused on winning a third consecutive Indian Wells Open title. Shapovalov, who won the Dallas Open title last month, could provide a challenging test.