All language subtitles for 1. Carlos Alcaraz manera S01E01. Disfrutar sufriendo

[peaceful music playing]

This is where I sleep. This is my bedroom.

CARLOS ALCARAZ GAVE US EXCLUSIVE ACCESS
TO FOLLOW HIM, HIS FAMILY, AND HIS TEAM

DURING THE MOST DECISIVE SEASON
OF HIS CAREER

[Carlos] I come here
after each tournament.

This is my quiet place.

This is where I have my hobby,
my tennis-shoe collection, as you can see.

And I'm running out of space.

Uh… It's a bit cramped, but it's okay.

We make it work.

And for the people who say,
"Where do you keep your trophies?"

I keep them here.

Here, I have some important ones.
The one from the 2022 US Open.

[lively music playing]

[commentator] He's only 19 years old,

and he's just won
the US Open Tennis Championships!

He's the youngest number one in history.

[peaceful music resumes]

[Carlos] The others are
in the living room.

This one's Wimbledon, of course.
This is crazy.

Here, you have all the recent champions.

Federer, Federer, Federer,

Federer, Federer, Nadal.

Federer, Nadal, Djokovic,

Federer, Murray, Djokovic,
Djokovic, Murray.

Federer, Djokovic, Djokovic, Djokovic.

Then, all of a sudden, my name.

So it's like, "What?
How the hell did that happen?"

[commentator] The joy
of winning Wimbledon,

reserved for only a handful
of privileged players, for geniuses.

I consider myself to be normal.

There's no food like my mother's
anywhere in the world. That's for sure.

What I'd like to do
is be the greatest player in history.

-[inspirational music playing]
-[cheering]

[Carlos] This is my dream, but
what's important is that I enjoy myself.

In order to give my best on the court,

I also need to spend quality time
with my close circle of friends.

You'll always be my little brother.

I'll smack you on the head
when you deserve it.

Even though it's not always compatible,
it's vital for me.

[upbeat electronic music playing]

So tomorrow, guess who doesn't
have to deal with the press?

His understanding of work and sacrifice
is different from ours.

When you left, I told you,
"I don't think you should leave,"

and you said,
"I have to because I need it."

He's so different that it makes me wonder

whether his way will help him
become the greatest player in history.

Tell us, even though you're in pain,
if you can compete.

[Nadal] If you feel
like you're sacrificing too much,

then you probably won't make it

because in the end,
you'll end up burning out way too soon.

Damn point! What am I looking for here?

At the end of the season,
Carlos hit rock bottom.

Shit.

Take it easy.

I wasn't mentally strong enough
to overcome all the stress.

[tense music playing]

If I go there and feel that way,
it's better not to play tennis at all.

[Federer] The compatible life
is a tricky one, right?

You wanna be everywhere, but you can't be.

[shouting excitedly]

He wants to experience things
that 21-year-olds do. That's normal.

[man 1] Carlitos first.

Wipeout!

[man 2] But we also have to remind him
that, as much as he might want to,

he's not a normal 21-year-old.

[triumphant music playing]

[cheering]

[Carlos] I'm laying the foundations
of my journey

to become the greatest player in history.

But I'm doing it my way.

CARLOS ALCARAZ
MY WAY

[man] Hey, waiter!

-[woman 1] Come sooner than later!
-We'd like some clams.

Excuse me. Good afternoon.

Leave them there,
near your brother Álvaro.

Your brother likes cockles.

-[Álvaro] Yeah, set them here.
-There you go.

-[woman 1] Come on, Sergio.
-[man] You've got a knack for this.

[Carlos] Wow, marineras. I didn't see 'em.

[woman 1] And broth.

-And the broth?
-[Carlos] Mmm!

I want everyone in the world to know
there's no food like my mother's.

Anywhere in the world. That's for sure.

I'm gonna live with her till I'm 50.

I won't? Okay.

-[woman 2] Give me my plate, please?
-[Carlos] Do I have ice cream cones?

[Carlos's mother] Someone ate them all!

Oh no. Did you eat them all?
Did you finish every last one?

-[woman 2] I tried to save some.
-You always eat all the ice cream cones.

It's crazy.
You don't leave me a single one.

-[man 1] He eats three per meal.
-I can't believe it.

He doesn't leave
one single ice-cream cone. Not one.

I'm the kind of person
who likes spending time at home.

It's really all the little things in life
that make me happy.

I mean, right now I'm at home,

and this afternoon, I'm gonna have coffee
with my friend at his place.

And that makes me happy.

Now, you have to eat a piece of pear,
some fruit, and mango.

[Carlos] But when I'm able to take

the few days off I get
after a tennis tournament,

if I put them together, I get
to spend a maximum of two months at home.

I wanna spend time
with my friends and family.

I wanna have some downtime.

But playing tennis doesn't allow me
to do that.

[suspenseful music playing]

START OF THE 2024 SEASON

Three series.

[Carlos] When I was 15,
I wanted to be a tennis player, obviously.

Once you become one,
that's when you realize

that there are a lot of things
you have to do that go with the game.

Good. Go higher. Give it all you got!

You don't realize the level
of physical effort

and especially the mental strain involved.

You can't see your family.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

[Carlos] You have to deal with the media.

Obviously, there are times
when I wanna take a break,

but that's when I remind myself
this is what I've dreamt of my whole life.

[reporters] Thank you.

Deal with people and their expectations.

[fan] Carlos!

[fans shouting] Carlos!

You have to learn to deal with all that,
and it's not easy.

-Okay, we have--
-[Carlos] One visit left.

We just have a meet and greet
with Louis Vuitton,

and then we can focus on the tournament.

[tense music playing]

[commentator] Alcaraz lost in
the quarterfinals of the Australian Open,

marking his exit from
the first major tournament of the year.

The circuit is very demanding.
There are tournaments all the time,

and you have to learn
to fulfill your obligations

if you really wanna be
in the tennis world.

[Carlos] In a lot of interviews and…

people ask me,
"What are you scared of, for real?"

And I didn't… I didn't know.
I didn't know how to answer that question.

But I guess, right now, my fear would be
that tennis becomes an obligation.

Put it on, and then you… There you go.

-Okay.
-Yeah.

Pull up your collar. Pull it up like this.

-Yeah.
-Pull up your collar.

[man] For Carlos, this challenge is
no longer fun, motivating, and exciting

but rather an obligation.

An obligation to win,
an obligation to get up in the morning,

and always train as hard as possible.
Everything he does is an obligation,

and I don't think he's ever had to feel
the weight of that word before.

We're gonna do two, one, two, one,

and then when you finish here,
give me a drop shot.

Okay?

[Carlos] I constantly feel
like I'm trapped.

And that triggers in me
anxiety, frustration, and doubts.

So much so, I have to ask myself,
"Do I want this?"

"Do I really want to live this life?
Do I really want to, uh… continue?"

[man] If you force Carlos's hand,
if you make him work

just because it's expected of him,
you'll lose him.

You'll lose him,
and that means he's not happy.

He has no drive,

and maybe after three years,
he stops playing tennis.

MARCH 2024

-[rackets hitting balls]
-[players grunting]

On the first day he arrived
at Indian Wells,

he was serious and preoccupied.
He seemed sad.

[Carlos's father] At Indian Wells,
he was more tense than usual.

He didn't have the smile
we're all accustomed to.

We saw that he was suffering,
and we knew we had to do something.

-What are you using?
-A lob wedge.

[man] We had to help our athlete

so that what we thought
was happening to him

wouldn't turn into, "Damn it,
I don't feel like playing tennis anymore."

"All this effort isn't worth it."

I think that helping him when I can
is important for everyone on the team.

[man] I put myself in his shoes,
and with all that pressure,

what he needs is to escape from it
and not think about it.

That important match he has to play.

[Carlos] Damn, what a shot!

[Ferrero] We play a lot of golf,

and each member of our team
is paired with another member of our team.

[golfer 1] Alberto!

[golfer 2] Thankfully we have a mulligan.
Get another.

-Thank goodness for that.
-It's because they're filming me!

[Ferrero] We were constantly laughing
all the time because, you know, we were…

Just picture all of us.

When someone was about to swing,
we'd all be behind, hoping he'd mess up.

He'd miss his swing,
and everyone was like, "Ha-ha!"

And so on. You get it.

We did this all day long
and created a really positive vibe.

[López] Look, here's dinner.

Good thing we already bought dinner,
but take it as a side dish.

[man] It was just
so that we could unwind a bit and relax.

It's times like these
that make him feel he has a life.

[blows raspberry]

-Send it down there.
-This is the penalty shot, right?

It really helped me get back in touch
with… with my true nature,

what I enjoy, and what makes me happy.

-[Lledó] Come on, partner!
-It was like… being home again.

-[golfer 3] Wow! What a shot!
-[Lledó] Really good!

He feels supported. He has a team.
He golfs. Yeah, he's delighted.

You'll see Álvaro's second shot.

[Molina] His face changed.

-Just show my good swings.
-[golfer 4] This guy's no joke.

Doubting is how he starts competing.

[dreamy music playing]

[crowd cheering]

[Carlos] In order to be happy again,
I need to feel really good off the court.

[man] Come on! Go for it!

In Indian Wells,
I felt very good off the court.

I wasn't nervous at all, and that's
when I was able to truly enjoy it.

[commentator 1] Unbelievable.
That was great!

-[commentator 2] Great, great, great.
-[commentator 1] What a show!

[Ferrero] All he needed was to reconnect
with his love of tennis,

to smile again on the court.

[commentator] A great shot from Alcaraz,
and Daniil Medvedev can't return that.

7-6, 6-1 for Carlos Alcaraz,

who, once again, has won at Indian Wells.

[Carlos] Many people who know me
sent me messages

like, "Finally, I see
you're enjoying yourself again,

smiling again."

However, the following two weeks go by,
and the injury issue comes up.

[dramatic drumbeat pounds]

-[Carlos] How many?
-[Moreno] Ten.

-How tough is it?
-It's really hard.

-From zero to ten?
-Six.

[Moreno] Okay, so on the right,

it shouldn't be more
than seven or eight, okay?

Right after Indian Wells,
I felt a sharp pain in my… in my forearm.

All right, one.
Move it all the way to the end.

[Carlos] It's in my right arm,
which I use for every stroke,

the serve, the volley, the forehand,

where I accelerate the most
and generate the most power.

[Moreno] All right,
turn my hand like this.

-How is it?
-[Carlos] Good.

[Moreno] Good, okay.

[Moreno] When he injured
his right forearm,

just a few weeks before the start
of the French Open, we were not sure.

We were all very concerned about
whether or not he was in optimal condition

to play this tournament.

8 WEEKS UNTIL ROLAND GARROS

[Moreno] We worked on his forearm,
moved everything normally.

-[Moreno] Is this your bedroom, Álvaro?
-[Álvaro] Yeah, it is.

[laughter]

[Carlos] It's just something that happens.
I invade my brother's room quite often.

[Álvaro] I'm used to it.
Between Carlos, who gets treated here

and the kids who come up
to play on the computer and whatnot…

We always end up fighting
because, I mean, it's my bedroom,

and when I say my bedroom, I mean it.
It doesn't even have a door.

So, yeah, my room is constantly occupied.

[Moreno] He has a squatter
in his own room.

[Carlos] I can live on my own,

but I like living with… with my family,
with my parents.

[Lledó] Let's make it more dynamic, okay?

Then we can move on
to the next thing downstairs.

[Lledó] Carlos is away from home a lot,

so we do our best
to adapt ourselves to him

and try to spend as many days as possible
at his place so he doesn't have to travel.

Very good. Use your lower back.

-[dog barks]
-Kira, come! [kisses teeth]

-She doesn't like the camera. Kira!
-[Carlos] Kira, Kira, Kira!

-Kira!
-[dog whines]

-[man] Here, put a mic on her.
-[Moreno] Kira also wants to train.

[man] There aren't many
female neighbors watching.

There's one over there.

[Carlos] Well, that's because the windows
are dark, and they’re closed, but…

[Carlos] Because I have this injury, being
at home helps me not think too far ahead.

I mean, if I were somewhere else…

uh… alone, it would be much harder for me.

-Let's go downstairs.
-Right now?

Let's take the stairs, dude.
Come on, if we're gonna get out of here.

-Let's go.
-Are we going somewhere?

[Moreno] Of course, dude.

Let's go.
We can't use the elevator, can we?

How's it goin', guys?

I'm gonna play here for a while.

[Carlos] In front of my apartment,
they built a few tennis courts,

so I thought,
"Okay, let's go check them out

and see what kind of feeling I get
on them."

-[kid] What an arm!
-[Carlos] That's what tennis does to you.

[Moreno] But I can beat him.

Well, right there and then,

the only sparring partner we had available
was his father.

[Lledó] Carlos's dad needs to warm up,
okay?

We'll just be hitting balls, right?

-It won't be full on.
-[Lledó] Yeah.

It had been a long, long time
since I played with my dad.

Let's do forehand, backhand, forehand.

Keep changing it. Change it up.

[father] I've dedicated myself
to the world of tennis.

I used to play against him
when he was 12 years old,

but I think that when he turned 13,
Carlos could've easily beaten me.

For sure. [chuckles]

When I saw that my kids
could beat me at tennis,

I'd find all kinds of excuses
to avoid playing them

and say, "Hey, I think we're done here."

-The last one!
-[Carlos] Okay.

No, I can't say I've beaten my father.
I haven't.

Keep coming, keep coming. It's okay.

Everyone will get an autograph.
Don't worry.

[father] We've always had tennis
in our lives.

That goes back to my parents.

In Carlos's case,
when he was a little boy,

we put him in a tennis school
in the village of El Palmar.

REAL SOCIEDAD COUNTRY CLUB OF MURCIA

[gentle music playing]

He rapidly made substantial progress.

[man on video] Come on.
Show us how you move your feet!

[man in interview] I started coaching
Carlitos when he was only five years old.

He was the kind of kid who,
anything you told him to do,

after showing him twice, he'd do it.

[Santos] Angle!

Very good. Now you're doing
what you're supposed to do.

That's great, kid.

[man] The first time I saw him
with a racket,

honestly, it was incredible.

You just knew he was different.

He even seemed a little too confident,
you know?

He held his racket well,
made a lot of drop shots,

had a lot of feel for the ball.

His forehand was fantastic. You couldn't
believe how hard he'd hit the ball.

Something like 3,000 miles per hour.

[grunts]

[Carlos's father] Ever since he picked up
a racket, around the age of three or four,

you'd always see him smiling
every time he went to a training session

or played a match.

He's always been like that.
He really wants to play tennis,

and he'll play tennis
as long as he's truly having fun,

having a good time.

All his coaches
have always said the same thing.

When Carlos comes to train,
when he comes to play,

he always gives 100% of himself.

Ever since I was little,

what I always do
when I step onto the court

is give 100% of myself.

When I'm not giving it my all,
I'm stuck in second gear.

Everything's much harder for me.

After having rested and recovered
for a few weeks,

I was still hurting and worried
about the injury to my forearm.

[Moreno] Did you take
the anti-inflammatories?

[Carlos] And also thinking
about my next challenge.

"What's the next tournament?"

"Barcelona."

It's a tournament I wait for all year long
to go to.

And it was gonna be our moment of truth.

[Moreno] Tomorrow, if all goes well,

the warm-up will be
a normal competition training.

Well, then we'll just have to wait
and see if all goes well.

[Ferrero] We were training,
but he was worried, you know?

[Ferrero] Last series.

[Ferrero] So finally,
we had to tell him, "Hey, Carlos,

you need to hit the ball normally."

"If you don't, we'll go to Barcelona,
and it'll be even more disappointing."

[grunts]

But then I noticed it.

-[Moreno] You notice it, right?
-[Carlos] It hurts a lot.

[Moreno] Yeah.

[Ferrero] I think the main thing here
is that,

if he's feeling what he's feeling now,

he won't be at full capacity
when he's playing because…

if he's already feeling pain now
and it hurts when he sits down,

how's he going to give 300% of himself
on the court?

[Ferrero] He always has trouble playing
with any kind of physical problem.

I remember
when he first started getting cramps,

he would be like,
"No, I can't play. It's impossible."

Tell us, even though you're in pain,
if you can compete.

[sad piano music playing]

[Carlos] After that training session,
I was feeling really messed up.

Right there and then, I felt a moment
of frustration I couldn't control,

and honestly, it was complicated.

It was very, very complicated for me.

6 WEEKS UNTIL ROLAND GARROS

We need to go.

When you get injured
and you can't play in a tournament,

the last thing you wanna do is show up.

[dramatic music playing]

[Molina] Even though it was really hard
for Carlos to go to Barcelona,

he had to go
and be grateful for being there

and also attend to his fans.

[fans shouting] Carlos!

[Molina] The tournament had invested a lot
of money in promotion, marketing.

If Carlos hadn't gone,
it would've been a big loss for them.

It's important that you explain to them

that you've been trying to recover
up until now

in order to be there for Barcelona.

Therefore, it's important
that you take all the time you need, okay?

-Don't speak too fast. You're alone. Okay?
-Okay.

Take all the time you need,
and explain everything you want.

You got this.

Right now, my next goal is to try
to go to Madrid,

but at the moment, I'm not sure at all.

Thank you.

[dramatic music builds, fades]

MUTUA MADRID OPEN PRESENTATION

There are times you can
and times you can't.

Sometimes it's okay
to get there a little late.

-I know it really gets on your nerves--
-I get it.

-But if it's… I get it.
-But today, trust me.

-You really need to be there.
-I know.

[Carlos] I was having lunch with friends,
and of course,

one thing led to another, and it ended up
being way longer than expected.

I was supposed to be at the hotel at four.
I got there at 4:30

and still had to change my clothes.

That day, I got angry,

I got really angry with Carlos,
but it had nothing to do with punctuality.

Watch out for the taxi!

For me, he was simply disrespecting
the other players around him,

and that's something I won't tolerate
from Carlos.

Fine, from now on, I'll get there first.
Then what happens?

It doesn't matter
if you're number one in the world

because no one should ever have
to wait for you, Carlos.

That's when I'll tell them,
"Now I have to wait?"

-No, you don't say anything.
-I'm just pulling your leg.

-I'm not in a position to say anything.
-No. You're not.

The only position I can be in
is with my head down

and ready to accept my punishment.

I know it.
What's funny is I know it. I know it.

-I know what position I'm in.
-Wonderful.

That's important.

[Molina] Ultimately, this is a young man

who has a lot of responsibilities
he didn't ask for.

What's important is that he understands
that the people around him,

what they say and what they do,
do it for his own good.

[applause]

[journalist] Carlitos Alcaraz,
you couldn't play in Barcelona.

Are you just planning
to go to the Madrid Open,

or will you play in the Madrid Open?

I'm doing absolutely everything
in my power to recover from this injury,

and if everything goes as planned,
I think there's a chance I'll play there.

APRIL 2024

-[upbeat music playing]
-[laughter]

-What's up, man? All good?
-[man] How are you? Ready to play?

-Ready to go. So ready.
-Are you going to beat them?

Absolutely. You bet I am!

-How are things with you?
-Fabulous, man.

-You're amazing, man.
-I came here to see you.

In every tournament, we always have
these mandatory promotional activities,

and we always try to be creative

so that these activities end up
being something that truly excites Carlos.

And he loved the event with Topuria.

Do you think I can punch you?
That'd be impossible?

[Topuria] I mean, hitting me lightly,
just grazing me--

-Then nothing, zero.
-Come on, show me what you got, Carlitos.

-Take that!
-[laughter]

[Carlos] Wow!

-[Topuria] You can see him.
-You know I went easy on you?

Let's see who's the real boss here.

Look, I'm terrible at this, okay?

[onlookers exclaiming]

Damn, you're good. You really crushed it.

I have a padel court at home.

When injuries and time allow me,
I love playing padel too.

But you're injured quite often.

You're right. Lately, I've been injured
more often than I should be.

I've been having ankle issues
and now this.

Let's put it out there in the universe.
We no longer wanna get injured.

-Absolutely.
-That's right.

-Knock on wood.
-[man] Let's take a photo.

-[Carlos] Okay.
-[man] One here and one there.

[tense music playing]

QUARTERFINALS

[Ferrero] Is it higher up?
In the middle or not?

-Or in the same area?
-Right there.

It feels sore,
but my body feels sore all over too.

-All of this doesn't hurt.
-[Ferrero] Okay, let's check it out.

When we heard this, we felt
as though we hadn’t made any progress

in helping him overcome this mental block,

this fearfulness he had
of hitting the ball.

Carlos knew that, to play against Rublev,
he needed to give 100% of himself.

-[Carlos] Okay.
-You have to make more effort.

Know how to suffer, how to push yourself,
and be smart about this.

-[Carlos] Yeah.
-Be smart, okay? Huh? Good.

Okay.

[energetic electronic music playing]

[Carlos] Rublev, one of the best players
in the world.

He has incredible energy.

He hits the ball extremely hard
and to the right.

-[commentator 1] What a shot from Alcaraz.
-[commentator 2] Great passing shot.

I start great. I win the first set.

[line judge] Out!

What's he doing?!
He's hitting the ball at a forehand speed.

He won the first set, but he still
wasn't hitting the ball the way he should.

[Carlos] And then suddenly,

I felt a pain in my forearm.

[commentator] Oh no.
I'm sure that's not what he meant to do.

I knew it was over.

[grunts]

[line judge] Out!

[commentator] That forehand shot
was strange,

as if he couldn't grip his racket.

[Ferrero] If we win this tournament
the way he's playing, Albert,

I swear I'm getting drunk tonight.

-[line judge] Out!
-[Carlos] Shit!

Damn that court-center shot!

[commentator] It looks
like the champion is having trouble

with those unusual shots he's hitting.

Something is disconnected in his tennis.

I realized I needed to do something more,

but I knew
what the pain in my forearm felt like,

so it was very hard
to get it out of my head.

[commentator] This one lands in the net,
and Alcaraz is out of the tournament.

In that match, I think

that his mental block
was really the main problem.

Mentally, he's not doing well.

He's fragile.

[melancholic music playing]

[Carlos] Another day, right?

4 WEEKS UNTIL ROLAND GARROS

[Ferrero] I'm having a lot of doubts
about this.

He shouldn't play forehand
if he's only at 50%.

[López] No, that's for sure.

Next tournament is a Grand Slam.
That means five sets.

[López] Tennis players
with that type of injury can play,

but he was afraid to,

and that can affect you,
physically and psychologically,

because you know
you can't give it your all.

We got through this.
Now we have to do more.

That's the next step.

[Moreno] What he needed back then
was time,

but the French Open
was just around the corner,

and we were working
with an extremely tight margin of error.

-[Molina] Hey, Carlos.
-Huh?

-[Molina] How you feeling, man?
-[Carlos] Good. I'm gonna shower and then…

-Describe what you're feeling in your arm.
-I don't know, man.

That's what worries me, that I don't know.

-Is it the same pain?
-I don't know, man.

-The thing is that I don't know.
-Okay. Don't worry.

The thing is I don't know
if it's the same spot or not.

If it's a different spot,

I don't know if it's from yesterday

or if I hurt myself now. I don't know.

So I was back to doubting everything.

Will I be able to hit my forehand shots
at full capacity again?

If yes, when will that happen?

[woman] ♪ Happy 21st birthday ♪

♪ Have a wonderful day today ♪

♪ Your grandmother wishes you
A happy birthday… ♪

VICTORIA ESCANDÓN
GRANDMOTHER

♪ And many more to come ♪

-[cheering and applause]
-Olé!

[Victoria] Oh, how sweet you are!
You deserve everything!

[man] Come on, come on!

I wanted to thank everybody here
for all the years we've been together.

We don't get together often,
unfortunately,

but honestly, at least being able to enjoy
my 21st birthday with all of you

is a pleasure and an honor for me,
so thank you all very much.

-[cheering]
-[pensive music playing]

[Álvaro] He loves being
with his family and childhood friends

who were at that birthday party

because that's when he can truly relax
and be himself.

Hey, Carlitos, happy birthday, buddy.

I want you to know
that I love you a lot, a lot, a lot,

and I want you to know
that it doesn't matter one bit

how famous you become.

Just remember
you'll always be my little brother,

and I'll give you a smack on the head
when you deserve it.

[laughter]

[Álvaro in interview]
He needs to clear his mind,

to step away from
this highly demanding world of tennis,

all the pressure that goes with it
and that he suffers from.

He's also only 21 years old.

Happy birthday!

You're 21 years old.

If you feel you need time for yourself,
then take it.

It'll be okay.

If you feel you need to stay at home,
stay at home.

If you feel you need to go out, go out.

[cheering]

[Carlos] There are times when I don't feel
like playing tennis as much.

There are times when I don't wanna travel.

There are times when I say,
"I wanna stay here."

"I wanna be the 20-year-old that I am."

[upbeat music playing]

MAY 2024

3 DAYS UNTIL ROLAND GARROS

The French Open is the only grand slam
played on clay courts.

It was the tournament
I've dreamt of winning

since I was a child.

To win in Paris,
it's a special moment for everyone.

[umpire] Game, set, and match, Nadal.

[Navrátilová] Rafa made it his own.

Fourteen Roland Garros is crazy.

It'll never happen again, I don't think.

[Carlos's father] Carlos grew up
with Rafa as a role model,

so following in the footsteps
of the king of clay tournaments

is something that's been ingrained in him
since he was very young.

[emotional piano music playing]

[father] On top of that, he played there
when he was 12 years old, you know?

And so, of course, he wanted
to return there as a professional

and, why not, win the tournament.

Carlos has always been excited
about the French Open,

ever since he was a kid.

[Molina] So what do you think?

How was this last week of preparation
for Paris?

It's been good.
We've taken it one step at a time.

Right now, it's all good,
but it's more a question of…

-Mental strength.
-His mental strength.

[Carlos] I was feeling a lot better,

but it was obvious to me
that if I felt even a little pain,

I'd be right back where I was.

[Ferrero] What happened
during the practice session?

You started hitting powerful shots nonstop
without missing.

That's exactly what you need to do
to win here.

Every little thing I felt made me think,
"Hey, be careful, watch out."

Every time you fail, remember what you did
and do better, better, better. Let's go!

We had to get him to mentally unblock
the issue with his arm,

but he wouldn't let go.

[determined music playing]

[commentator 1] Hello and welcome
to the center court of the French Open

and the Court Philippe-Chatrier.

[commentator 2] The crowd is nervous
because of the number-one player's knee.

Everyone seems to be uncertain
of the outcome, including Novak Djokovic.

[commentator 1] And it's over.
Nothing else can be done.

Alexander moves on to the next round.

Rafa Nadal, satisfied and confident,

must say goodbye to the French Open 2024.

[Molina] What makes
this French Open special

is that for the first time in 20 years,

you don't have a player like Novak
or Rafa Nadal in the final.

[man, in French] Thank you, Rafa.
Rafael Nadal!

[in English] There's an up-and-coming
generation that's pushing its way forward.

This is a real fact.

And ultimately, they're the ones who are
competing in the grand-slam tournaments.

-[man] For you.
-Thank you. Perfect. Let's see.

Tennis today is lucky to be experiencing
this generational shift

with young players like Carlos Alcaraz
and Jannik Sinner.

Right now, at only 23 years old,

he's the toughest player
you can compete against.

[energetic music playing]

[commentator] Oh, no way!
He is the best player.

He has long arms,
and his shots go very deep.

[raucous cheering]

[commentator] The Australian Open
men's singles champion for 2024,

Jannik Sinner!

He had just won Australia,
his first grand slam.

[Sinner] Me and Carlos,
we have a great rivalry.

When we play,
there is a bit more extra attention,

and then from our side,
a bit more tension.

[cheering]

[Sinner] He won Masters events, as I did.
He won Grand Slams.

So while he is winning,

I feel that my practice sessions
are getting more intense.

[commentator] No one can believe it
inside the Hard Rock Stadium. Incredible.

[Carlos] He motivates me to be better.

He motivates me to improve myself
so I can beat him.

[music fades]

[dramatic music playing]

[commentator 1] Hello and welcome
to the best tennis in the world,

the French Open. Semi-finals,
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

[umpire] First set,
Carlos Alcaraz to serve.

Fifteen-love.

[Carlos] The truth is
he starts at a very high level.

I can't seem to reach that level.

[cheering]

[umpire] Game, Sinner.

I saw him, that he was struggling,
you know, with the… with the right hand,

so I tried to move him around,
trying to see where he has pain

and where he doesn't have pain.

[commentator 1] What a thrilling start
from Jannik.

[commentator 2] He's a perfect machine.

He pushes your limits,
physically and mentally.

[Ferrero] Your forehand,
stay a little loose, let the ball run.

Come on, keep going.

In these kinds of situations,
you have to believe in your game.

So I needed to change something.

[grunts]

[applause]

[Carlos] I was hitting faster
with my forehand,

and I hit much harder too.

[commentator 1]
He's accelerating with his forehand.

[commentator 2] Alcaraz needed
to feel that with his forehand.

[Ferrero] You can already see

that he's starting
to really hit his forehand at his level.

[umpire] Game, Alcaraz.

It was a release for him.

Then came the third set.

And that's when I started getting cramps.

[commentator 1] Looks like
something's wrong with Alcaraz.

Something's wrong.

[commentator 2] Last year,
Carlos also had something with Djokovic.

[Ferrero] It was during a semi-final
against the best player of all time.

[players grunting]

[umpire] Game, Djokovic.

[Carlos] When you're in front
of 10,000 people

and you realize
you can't play your best game

because you're getting cramps, it hurts.

It's really frustrating
to be seen like that.

[Molina] He has to learn
to manage his pain

and know how to compete
without being at full capacity.

All the best players in history
have competed,

and they're all able to manage their pain.

[López] That loss was a very tough one,

and the worst part about it was
that a year later, it would happen again.

[line judge] Out!

[Carlos] I was really hurting.

[umpire] Sinner, 6-3.

[Carlos] I wasn't thinking straight.
I didn't know what to do.

So that's when I looked over at Juanqui.

We realized that Jannik was starting
to have problems as well.

I was able to get Carlos's attention

and show him that Jannik was cramping up,
the same as him.

At some point,
we both were cramping a little bit.

I had my cramps in my hand.

[inaudible]

I think that's when he realized
that tennis wasn't all about showmanship

but that it was mostly
about being mentally strong.

[commentator] Wow, that was quite a shot!

That ball was impossible to hit!

So then it turned into this intense battle

of who could handle
the pain situation better

and who could handle what was coming.

[determined music playing]

[Carlos] That's when I thought to myself,
"Jannik, if you really wanna take me out,

you're gonna have to take me out
on a stretcher!"

[cheering]

[cheering]

[cheering]

[Sinner] He was then much better than me
to find a way to win.

This shows again
how… how mentally strong Carlos is.

[commentator] And he does it!

The genius from El Palmar has made it
to the final of the French Open!

What an epic battle, in five sets!

He won in New York. He won in London.

On Sunday, he'll be given the chance
to win here in Paris.

[Ferrero] The way
he managed his self-control

and overcame his problems was amazing.

We all enjoyed watching him.

We suffered with him,
but it was great to watch.

Carlos, how did you learn
to win this match?

Because you always try
to enjoy and to have fun,

and today, it was all about suffering.

You have to find, uh… the joy suffering.

-[crowd laughing]
-That's the…

-I think that's the… that's the key.
-[applause]

[commentator] It's a historic day
for tennis with the French Open final

between Alexander Zverev
and Carlos Alcaraz.

This is indeed a privilege
for Spanish tennis,

and we are hoping
for a tenth national champion today.

[intense music playing]

[commentator] Carlos Alcaraz said
when he was 12 years old,

"I want to win Wimbledon,

but above all,
I want to win the French Open."

-[man] Name?
-[Carlos] Carlos Alcaraz.

[man] What would be your dream
as a professional?

To win the French Open and Wimbledon.

[cheering]

[commentator] Zverev to serve,
and the match will begin.

[commentator] Wow, what a volley.

That was spectacular,
what Carlos just did there.

When you're in the French Open final,
you can't think about anything else.

You have to just keep going.

[cheering]

[commentator] What the Spanish player
just did was tremendous!

[cheering]

[commentator] And he did it.
He did it in a big way.

This is one of those times
when a dream finally becomes a reality.

Champion of the French Open,
Carlos Alcaraz Garfia.

[triumphant music playing]

[Carlos's father] It's incredible.
The hairs on your arms stand up.

You know, it's a huge feeling of joy.

[Virginia] I think of him.

I only think of him.
"Your dream came true."

"This is yours,
and you're the one who won it."

[inaudible]

[fans, in Spanish] Champions, champions!
Olé, olé, olé!

[in English] The French Open champion,
Carlitos!

-Bravo! Yeah!
-Bravo!

-Okay, let's go!
-Yes!

Now I just need to climb
to the top of the Eiffel Tower

and hang like King Kong
on the Empire State Building.

Well, I can… do the Eiffel Tower.

[Carlos] Whoo!

So what are we doing tonight?

It's drinks for dinner, dude.

So tomorrow, guess who doesn't have
to deal with the press?

-I'm partying all night.
-[Molina] Wrong.

Tomorrow, you and I are doing press,
that's for sure.

-I'll just keep on going, Albert.
-[Molina] That's good.

Even hammered.
As hammered as a nail in the wall.

You don't have a tie.
You'd have to tie it around your head.

You're right. That's no good.

[Molina] At 11:00 a.m., I'll be banging
on your door to wake you up.

Try to make sure I'm alone.

[dreamy music playing]

[inaudible]

[whistling and cheering]

[people chanting in Spanish]
Champions, champions!

Olé, olé, olé!

[Carlos, in English] Seeing all my friends
from the village, my family, all my team…

[chanting] Hey, hey, hey, hey!

My little boy. My little boy.

[Carlos] …I was relaxed.

I was able to eat pizza,
eat whatever I wanted.

[chanting]

[cheering]

Drink wine, champagne.

Everything I wanted.

[triumphant music playing]

[inaudible]

[Carlos] It was a very, very, very nice,
very special moment.

We were hopeful and could say,

"From this point on, good
and beautiful things are coming my way."

[tense music playing]

[Ferrero] I want him
to be the greatest player in history, but

I don't know if I can take it.

I don't know if I can take all this.

[shouting]

They're at it again.

[Moreno] I have to be strict.
"It's not the right time."

"Don't do it.
You're gonna make a mistake."

If going to the tennis court
becomes an obligation,

then you're starting to have a problem,
right?

[fan] You're the best!

[Carlos] I'm 21 years old,
and I wanna make my own decisions now.

If I make a mistake, at least I made it.
I don't want people to decide for me.

[Molina] With so many distractions
around you,

you're losing your focus
from being the greatest player in history.

[subtle electronic music playing]

[music intensifies]

[music fades]