Follow us on Google Discover Carlos Alcaraz has enjoyed a dramatic rise in such a short space of time, having climbed all the way to world number one.
Alcaraz turned professional in 2018, and has since gone on to claim 24 ATP titles along with that number one world ranking.
Eight of those titles have arrived this season alone, with further success possible at the ATP Finals next month.
Aged just 22, the Spaniard is a six-time Grand Slam champion, and is rapidly closing in on 300 professional wins.
Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty ImagesCoco Gauff’s coach has noticed a ‘dramatic’ change in Carlos Alcaraz from junior level
According to Gavin MacMillan, who is currently coaching WTA star Coco Gauff, Alcaraz’s prowess was evident from an early stage.
Offering advice for junior players, biomechanics expert MacMillan said on Tennis Channel: “If you have any types of holes in your game, especially in the men, they are just going to keep feeding it until you crack.
“I really think it’s important that on a daily basis you have direct practice with youngsters, because if you don’t develop the skills like heavy groundstrokes off the ground, a heavy serve that can hit spots and if you don’t develop athletically how are you going to achieve this? It’s just a pipe dream.
“You can’t even talk about tactics until you get skills involved. If you can’t hit basic shots and keep them in the court, how are you going to have somebody great tactically as a coach really help you until you can execute it?
“I think for kids it’s 100% skill development, not your ranking or what you are winning. At 14 who cares? I mean look back now at Alcaraz and he played [Brandon] Nakashima on clay I think it was four years ago and Brandon I think served for the match.
“I thought he was really good. But the difference in improvements he has made from then to now is dramatic. Physically, serve, forehand. Everything.
“But at 14 when you saw you could see signs of this. He was hitting drop shots back then. He was bouncing around, light on his feet.
“He is a phenomenal athlete. And this game is getting tighter and tighter in terms of room for skills that you don’t have.”
How has Carlos Alcaraz’s ATP ranking changed since he turned pro?
The match in question was a second round tie between Alcaraz and Nakashima at the Oeiras 3 Challenger 125 in 2021.
Losing the first set to the American, the Spaniard came from behind to secure an impressive 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win.
The duo were reunited later that year at the NextGen ATP Finals and indeed at last month’s Japan Open, with Alcaraz winning on both occasions.
The Spanish superstar was clearly a real talent in his youth, but perhaps nobody expected such a stunning and rapid rise.
YearRank20181,4912019492202014120213220221202322024320251Carlos Alcaraz’s ATP rank by year
As MacMillan alluded to, rankings are of little significance in the early stage of a career, but it is intriguing to see just how Alcaraz’s status has changed over time.
He was all the way down in 1,491st in the world back in 2018, and is now ranked higher than any other player in 2025.