Carlos Alcaraz, the world-renowned tennis player, takes his role as an elder brother seriously. Not only is he a role model to his siblings on the court, but he also strives to be one off it. “To help them learn about the things that matter in life is the most important thing,” the Spanish pro once shared.
Carlos comes from a family of four boys. His elder brother, Álvaro, is his constant companion, often seen traveling with him and assisting during training sessions. His younger brothers, Sergio and Jaime, look up to Carlos for inspiration.
The youngest of the Alcaraz brood, Jaime, is beginning to make a name for himself in the junior tennis circuit. At the tender age of 13, he has already clinched the Rafa Nadal Tour event in Madrid in 2023, a title his elder brother once held. Recently, he emerged as a finalist at the Seville stage of the tour, raising eyebrows and attracting attention.
However, Carlos has expressed concern about the growing expectations around his young brother. In a candid chat with Moluskein, the world’s third-best tennis player voiced his worries. “I’m concerned that the pressure might get to him. It’s not fair to burden him with expectations just because he’s my brother,” Carlos remarked. Carlos is wary of the “next Carlos Alcaraz” label being thrust upon Jaime, considering how challenging it can be to live up to such expectations.
Despite the growing fame, Jaime’s tennis inspiration isn’t his accomplished elder brother. Surprisingly, his idol is another tennis legend, Dominic Thiem. This revelation came from Carlos himself during a video for TennisTV after Thiem announced his retirement post the 2024 Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
“Jaime is a huge fan of Dominic Thiem,” Carlos disclosed. “He even prefers playing with Thiem’s racket instead of mine.” Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion, is known for his powerful one-handed backhand and relentless baseline game, attributes that Jaime admires and aspires to emulate. “My little brother often says, ‘I want to play like Dominic Thiem, with the same racket, the same style’,” Carlos added.
While Carlos continues to carve out his own legacy in the world of tennis, his younger brother Jaime dreams of following in Thiem’s footsteps. As he prepares for the 2025 Indian Wells Masters, scheduled from March 2 to March 16, Carlos hopes to clinch his third consecutive title, having emerged victorious in 2023 and 2024 by defeating Daniil Medvedev in both finals.
With Carlos and Jaime both making waves in their respective circuits, the Alcaraz family may soon have another rising star to boast of. It’s a fascinating dynamic unfolding in the Alcaraz household, where one brother builds his legacy while another charts his own path, inspired by a different tennis legend.