Carlos Alcaraz explains why he doesn't care if he's never world No.1 again
Carlos Alcaraz has missed out on opportunities to return to the top of the rankings.
Carlos Alcaraz made history when he became the youngest man ever to reach world No. 1 at the age of 19. The Spaniard reached the top of the rankings after winning the US Open in 2022. But he relinquished his place a year later and hasn’t returned to the summit ever since.
The four-time Grand Slam champion failed to close the rankings gap with current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner over the last few months, with the Italian serving a suspension. But Alcaraz has now explained why he isn’t “obsessed” with getting back to the top.
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Currently sitting at No. 3 in the world, Alcaraz hasn’t returned to his career-high position since September 2023. There have been times when the top ranking lived in his mind.
Later that year, Alcaraz admitted he thought about his battle for No. 1 “at every tournament”. But he failed to climb back up the rankings and has occupied either the second or third spot ever since.
Now, the 21-year-old is taking a new approach, admitting he’s happy exactly where he is. “I'm not obsessed with being the best in the world,” Alcaraz told GQ Spain.
“I was No. 1 a few years ago, and I was happy. Now I'm No. 3, and I'm equally happy. And I'm enjoying the journey, the sport, and life.”
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The rankings aren’t the only thing Alcaraz is no longer engrossed in. The four-time Major winner has always been open about his desire to join the Big Three as one of the world’s greatest players - but again, it’s not something that consumed him.
He continued: “I'm not obsessed. I've always said I'd like to be the best in history and sit at the Big Three's table, but those are big words, not an obsession.
“And I always say I'd like to be remembered as an inspiration to the little ones, and as someone who had fun doing what he loved most, with a smile on his face and making people enjoy themselves.”
The world No. 3 is also keen on forging his own path. Alcaraz has long been touted as the heir to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic’s era of dominance, but he isn’t a fan of the comparisons.
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“I don't really like comparisons. Obviously, it's a compliment to be compared to the three greatest players of all time, but I'm Carlos Alcaraz, and I'm just trying to make my own way,” he added.
While Alcaraz is no longer “obsessed” with being No. 1 in the world, the Spaniard still felt plenty of pressure to catch Sinner in the rankings during his rival’s three-month suspension.
Ahead of this week’s Monte-Carlo Masters, he admitted: “A lot of people are asking me or are telling me that I have the chance to become the No. 1 if Jannik is not playing. So probably that pressure had killed me in some way.
“I think I'm not able to become No. 1 in the clay season. Even if Jannik is not playing, I don't have the chance to do it. So I think I'm just too far from Jannik, so I'm just here and I've realised that I don't have to think about it. I just go there and play. That's my mindset right now.”
