Carlos Alcaraz said he never thinks he has to be the ‘best ambassador possible’ for tennis like former greats Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Carlos Alcaraz said Wednesday that he doesn’t play thinking that he needs to be the ambassador of tennis and try to grow the game the way legends like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal did before him. Alcaraz, 22, was speaking after his Australian Open 2026 third-round win over German Yannick Hanfmann.
The six-time Grand Slam winner, Alcaraz, who is also the world No 1 currently, was asked whether he was looking to make an impact on the popularity of tennis after he won 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2.
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But Alcaraz said that his focus is only on entertaining the crowd, which will result in more people watching the sport.
“Not really. I don’t think about it, being a good ambassador for tennis,” Alcaraz said. “But obviously at the same time, the way that I play, I said many times, sometimes it’s just trying to entertain the people, trying to engage people to watch more tennis.
“But I’m not thinking that I have to be the best ambassador possible to tennis. Just stepping on the court, I’m doing what I love to do, just playing tennis.
“It’s just about loving what you’re doing and enjoying every single second you step on the court. I think that’s it. That’s all that’s in my mind.”
Carlos Alcaraz was asked if he feels a responsibility as the world #1 to be an ambassador for the good of tennis the way Federer, Nadal, & Djokovic did before him
“As the world #1 and one of the biggest names in tennis, do you feel a responsibility to be an ambassador for the… pic.twitter.com/zBXKPo39Q3
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 21, 2026
On facing a tough first set against Hanfmann, Alcaraz said, “I knew he was going to play great. I mean, I know his level, I played him a few times already. To be honest, it was tougher than I thought at the beginning. I didn’t feel the ball that good. You know, the ball was coming as a bomb, forehand and backhand,” he added.
“Really, really happy that I got through a really difficult first set and then I started to feel a little bit better on the court.”
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Alcaraz is hoping to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam of all four majors at the Australian Open 2026.
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