Carlos Alcaraz uniquely shows his love for his mother by making a clear choice

Carlos Alcaraz has demonstrated his love for his mother by naming her the first woman who comes to his mind. Four-time Major winner Alcaraz holds the distinction of being the youngest-ever male World No. 1, a milestone he reached at just 19 years of age. He won his first Major, the 2022 US Open, in the same year.

Alcaraz has often referred to his family as major influences in his tennis success. His family is steeped in tennis. His father, Alcaraz Gonzales, was a pro tennis player, even if he only managed a ranking of 963 in 1990. After retiring, Gonzales became the tennis director at the tennis club built by Carlos's grandfather almost 40 years ago in the Spanish village of El Parmar.

Alcaraz's older brother, Alvaro, plays tennis, and his younger brother, Jaime, is already attracting attention as a future star at the age of 13. But even closer to Alcaraz's heart is his mother, Virginia, who has supported him throughout his tennis journey.

Carlos Alcaraz was asked by the Overtime Tennis to simply "Name a woman", and he showed no hesitation before naming his Mom:

"Virginia Garfia Escandon, My Mom"

Carlos Alcaraz's Mom, Virginia, is integral to his on-court success

Day Fourteen: The Championships - Wimbledon 2023 - Source: Getty

Virginia Garfia Escandon does not have a sporting background. She famously worked as a sales assistant at IKEA before her son became a top professional player. Carlos Alcaraz credits his mother for being the one who keeps him grounded and humble, despite the intensive attention he receives from the press and public.

After winning the 2024 Madrid Open, Alcaraz wrote an endearing message for his Mom on the courtside camera, “Por ti, Mama” (or “For you, Mom”), and explained why in his post-match interview:

"I couldn’t buy a gift for her, so I hope she enjoyed the words. I’m gonna give her a really big hug after… She’s always supporting me at home. For me it’s really nice to see her here and enjoying her support."

Alcaraz's 2025 has started slowly. He was surprisingly knocked out of the Australian Open in the quarterfinals by Novak Djokovic but then won in Rotterdam. A semifinal defeat to eventual winner Jack Draper in Indian Wells has been his best result since Melbourne.

Carlos Alcaraz had something of a struggle getting past Francisco Cerundolo in three sets this week at the Monte Carlo Open. He plays Daniel Altmaier in the Round of 16 today and hopes to go deep in the tournament as he seeks to gain ground on the absent Jannik Sinner in the world rankings.