Carlos Alcaraz to CNN: ‘I’m playing unbelievable tennis’
Carlos Alcaraz is the first Spanish tennis pro to reach $1 million in career wins.
Nov. 7, 2012
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during a singles match at a Premier Tennis League match, Nov. 9, 2012, in Madrid, Spain. Associated Press
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Carlos Alcaraz | The Tennessean
One day it was the American Open. The next, it was the Davis Cup. Two years later he was one of the leading forces in Portugal, ranked sixth in the world, and he had earned himself a spot on a shortlist for the Olympic team.
Alcaraz, 38, has reached a milestone few could touch – $1 million in career winnings.
The former junior world No. 1 and two-time semifinalist is the first Spanish tennis pro to reach the $1 million mark, and the third tennis player ever to make it. The others are the late Tommy Knight, a two-time Grand Slam champion, and Tommy Haas, who won 10 Grand Slam titles, including a Wimbledon title in 2004 and two U.S. Open titles.
“I never had a dream about $1 million,” Alcaraz said after his Davis Cup tie against Croatia. “My dream was to have two children and live off the tennis courts after I retired…. A dream doesn’t get fulfilled very quickly.”
Alcaraz, who lives in a hotel in Madrid with his wife, Josefa, and their four children, said he was humbled, but he wouldn’t change a thing.
“They say it’s a dream worth dying for,” he said. “I’m going to try to live my dream and to make it a reality.”
He played just five ATP Tour events this year, including the Davis Cup final, and had his lowest ranking since his world No. 1 debut in 2002. But he is in the midst of his biggest season since his Olympic debut, with his career total now at a record 1,827.
Injuries have sapped his game of much of its firepower, but Alcaraz said
