Carlos Alcaraz reveals what he thinks his weapon is on court and it has nothing to do with his tennis

Carlos Alcaraz has revealed that if you catch him smiling on the court, it means he’s playing his best tennis. The Spaniard, ranked third in the world, has become popular for flashing his pearly whites while playing on the court and it has earned him fans aplenty.

Alcaraz has had a decent season so far, having clinched his first title of the year at the ATP Rotterdam Open. He also reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and Open before making it to the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters.

More recently, he suffered a first-round exit at the Miami Open as he lost to David Goffin in three sets. However, the one aspect that has remained common through his matches is his smile. Win or lose, Alcaraz always finds a way to sport a smile, which he labels a “weapon”.

“It is a weapon in a certain way because when I smile, it means I am having fun on the court. And when I'm having fun on the court, I play my best tennis. So in a certain way, it is a weapon. Every time I step on the court, I just have fun and smile. (I tell myself) this is just a game. I'm not saying that I do it every day, but I'm trying (laughs),” Carlos Alcaraz told Louis Vuitton (6:35 onwards).

Alcaraz’s preparations for the Monte Carlo Masters are in full swing as he looks to make the most of the claycourt season. The 21-year-old has also donned a new hairstyle as he aims to bounce back from the early loss in Miami.

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Carlos Alcaraz talks about mental pressure amid dip in form

Carlos Alcaraz is looking to bounce back from his first-round exit at the Miami Open. Source: Getty

Carlos Alcaraz is among the world’s best players but hasn’t been able to assert his dominance on the Tour this season. He has a title to his name, but will rue the missed opportunities in the other big tournaments. Speaking in the same aforementioned podcast, the Spaniard spoke about how he deals with pressure.

"Psychological. It is...It is mental. When you feel relaxed, you're not putting yourself in that position. It is okay. Physically, it is the match. But if you can, you know, stay mental, you know, (in) peace and relaxed. It is, you know, it’s the best thing," he said (8:13 onwards).

Alcaraz will look to put his shaky season behind him as he works towards defending his French Open title. He is regarded as one of the best claycourt players on the Tour and is widely believed to be the legendary Rafael Nadal's successor on the surface.