Carlos Alcaraz wants to be a good role model like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

By SABC Sport
5th April 2025

Carlos Alcaraz looks up to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and hopes to emulate their best qualities on and off the court.

Speaking on the Louis Vuitton [EXTENDED] podcast, the four-time Grand Slam champion opened up on a variety of topics and when he was asked when he learned from tennis icons Federer and Nadal, he suggested their demeanour off the court was just as impressive as their brilliance on it.

"I think the most important thing is being kind, being a good person," said Alcaraz.

"For me, it's the most important thing. And of course, behave well on the court. Give good values when you're on court and off the court, that could be a good influence for the kids.

"When I see some players being so rude, I feel like, 'What happened with this guy?' When I see one of my idols, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer... you know, being so kind all the time, and performing pretty well on the court...

"When I started, I felt they were being such great guys for me. I was, 'Okay, I really want to be like these guys', and I want to be the same for the kids."

Novak Djokovic is often mentioned as part of the 'Big 3' in men's tennis, but Alcaraz opted not to mention the Serbian in his comments suggesting he wanted emulate Federer and Nadal.

Alcaraz also opened up on his relationship with long-term coach and former world No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, as he poured praise on his mentor.

"Probably thanks to Juan Carlos, I'm the player I am right now," he added. "We spend a lot of time together, we travel a lot, and thanks to that, I could learn a lot from him as a person, as a player.

"He told me the importance of being a good person off the court and the things that you're doing outside are going to have a huge impact on the court.

"Then, of course, my father, who used to play tennis when he was young. His passion, his life is tennis, that's what he taught me.

"Playing tennis with passion, with love. If I choose that tennis is my life, do it with passion. I think that's a pretty good lesson I learned from him."