Carlos Alcaraz

By Tom Kirvan

The youngest top-ranked tennis player in the sport’s history, Spanish-born Carlos Alcaraz has won six Grand Slam titles by the age of 22, including Wimbledon and the U.S. Open twice each.

The handsome Spaniard began playing tennis at age 4, thanks to his father, a former tennis coach. Born on May 5, 2003, Alcaraz made his professional debut at age 16, and two years later he won his first pro title to become the youngest tour-level champion in more than a decade.

Known for his aggressive playing style and powerful forehand, Alcaraz won his first U.S. Open title in 2022 and added an exclamation point to that accomplishment by defeating Novak Djokovic in a classic five-set match at Wimbledon in 2023. Alcaraz’s victory snapped Djokovic’s 34-match winning streak and catapulted the young player to tennis fame.

Alcaraz won his first French Open title in 2024 and defended his crown in 2025. He was also the Wimbledon champ in 2024 at the age of 21. He continued his tennis dominance at the 2025 U.S. Open, defeating his Italian rival, Jannik Sinner, in four sets for his sixth major title.

“I don’t win or lose, I win or learn,” Alcaraz said of his tennis and life philosophy. “Dream big, work hard, stay focused.”

Carlos Alcaraz

Off the court, Alcaraz launched a foundation in 2024 to help disadvantaged children. The foundation’s mission is to improve the lives of children facing hardship by promoting their fundamental rights, health, well-being, and inclusion. The foundation aims to eliminate obstacles for children and ensure they have equal opportunities to develop their full potential, both in sports and in life.

“I’ve always said that smiling, for me, is the key to everything,” Alcaraz said. “I’d choose happiness over massive success because happiness is already success.”

*Like tears in rain, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons