Being Carlos Alcaraz: The Man Behind the Smile

by Mark Hodgkinson

'This is a wonderful book. I love it. Mark's research is amazing, with the in-depth interviews and level of detail providing great insights into who Carlos Alcaraz is.'
- Annabel Croft, broadcaster and former tennis

'A perfect match of author and subject. Mark Hodgkinson's mix of style and substance - flair and professionalism - mirrors Carlos Alcaraz on a tennis court.'
- Jon Wertheim, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated

'This is a great window into the background and processes of arguably the most exciting player in men's tennis right now.'
- Charlie Eccleshare, tennis correspondent for the New York Times and The Athletic

'A highly readable portrait of tennis's most exciting young talent.'
- Conor Niland, a former tennis player and the winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award 2024 for 'The Racket'

'This is a brilliant book. The detail on offer is extraordinary ... A cracking read for any tennis fan.'
- Courtney Walsh, Fox Sports in Australia

INSIDE THE MIND OF A YOUNG ICON CHASING TENNIS HISTORY
Based on new interviews with those closest to him - including coaches, friends, old teachers and other villagers - Being Carlos Alcaraz offers fresh insights into a tennis phenomenon. From a modest apartment above a kebab shop in the village of El Palmar to glory on the sport's biggest stages, this captivating book traces Alcaraz's emergence and contrasts his story against the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer.

Grit. Joy. Swagger. Belief. The dark moments between the smiles. The tears. The broken racquets. The tension of wanting to be a normal young man while aspiring to tennis greatness. Being Carlos Alcaraz delves into the emotional and cultural forces that have shaped a modern icon - one destined to redefine tennis for years to come.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports

Audible Audio

Published September 4, 2025

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure how someone so young could have achieved so much and have a book written about his successes so approached with curiosity

Read it and found out and soon realised what a remarkable sportsman and champion Carlos Alcaraz is

The author has done a sterling job in charting his life from humble beginnings to being the best tennis player in the world and how his unique personality has helped his game and indeed the sport

With the help of interviews and soundbites from previous World champions and friends and family we build a picture of this affable superstar and his brand of ‘happy tennis, it is no more than remarkable what he has achieved and continues to do so and all wrapped up with a genuine nice personality,we also learn of the pitfalls and the dangers of social media on a stars well being etc,rivalry and friendship with other stars is also featured,as us the stratospheric earning potential of modern day sports champions

The book is full of facts and anecdotes about the player and we come away feeling have learnt a lot about this true sports superstar,a worthy read

[n.]

intrigued as to how the author is going to write a biography about someone who is TWENTY-TWO?? but let’s see !

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems strange reading a biography about someone still so young, but Carlos Alcaraz has packed an awful lot into his first 22 years. I’ve always been a tennis fan, and in my youth a regular player, so even though I don’t often read biographies this one caught my eye.

Briefly, Carlos was raised in El Palmar, a small town in Murcia, Spain and had an early grounding in tennis as his father was a tennis coach. He was raising a tennis racket from an early age, just 4 years old. It must’ve been clear to his family that this was always going to be his dream. Carlos received his first sponsorship contract at just 8 years of age but this was more a philanthropic gesture and this Murcia based company continued to finance him for many years. At 10 French sports equipment company Babolat started supporting him, and still does, and at 12 he got his first agent, who remains with him today. As a successful player Carlos is giving back and has set up a foundation supporting children from deprived families.

It is clear from reading this book that Carlos Alcaraz is genuinely a loyal and kind person. His family are heavily involved in his career and foundation and he spends a lot of his off circuit time back in Murcia. Having achieved so much at such a young age, breaking tennis records left right and centre, I loved how he has stayed so grounded and humble. Obviously we get to see the fun stuff; not the long hours of training, rivalry, jealously, days and months away from loved ones - it’s not all glamorous lifestyle. An interesting and enjoyable read.

[Elizabeth Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

am a huge tennis fan (and did get up at 3.30 earlier this year to join the Wimbledon queue as we hadn’t been lucky enough to get tickets in the ballot this year) - and after years of watching Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, have really enjoyed seeing the emergence of the next generation and the developing rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner.

So, with some reservations around the idea of reading the biography of a 22 year old, which perhaps seems a little premature, I was nevertheless intrigued to read Being Carlos Alcaraz by Mark Hodgkinson - and it proved to be a fascinating insight into just how this phenomenon has achieved so much at such a young age, and yet remained apparently so grounded, and someone it is hard not to warm to thanks to his endearing personality.

It is a book that takes you back to all that has got him to where he is now - about his upbringing and his family, and the way that has helped keep him very much grounded, but also his drive and determination, and the challenges he has faced living up to the expectations placed upon him.

I was a huge Alcaraz fan already - but this additional insight means I will be rooting for him a little harder going forward.

[Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love tennis. Both our kids play, and we also play for fun, and all of us enjoy watching tennis. Alcaraz is brilliant to watch play and he is great to have the kids watch to learn what it is to be competitive and a good sportsman , so, when I saw this book I knew I had to read it and read it to my daughter to inspire her. I then looked up the author and saw he is clearly the long of tennis biographies. He is also, clearly, quite good at it as this book was brilliant. It lays out all of Alcaraz's sport life, in great detail, but also looks at the man behind the smile. We see what makes him, what drives him and what helps him carry on even in times when things are not going to plan. We see all the background, and we also see onto the court. It is like seeing the exact mindset of him as he plays and as he prepares. I thought this was clearly well researched, well written and quite inspirational..a very good biography indeed.

[Adam Wynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read- a little repetitive

[Yudeshtra Naidoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring. Alcatraz’s passion and love for tennis is contagious.
His focus and dedication is a lesson for all.

[Nate Bragg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being Carlos Alcaraz is another great edition to the long list of tennis biographies written in recent years. Author Mark Hogkinson goes into deep detail of Alcaraz's upbringing, interviewing family, friends, and trainers, and painting a clear picture of one of modern sport's bright young stars.

I enjoyed reading this book, and Hodgkinson clearly put a lot of time, research, and care into cultivating sources and getting this right, even with limited or perhaps no access to Alcaraz himself. All that being said I did feel that this book is probably coming out a bit too earlier into Alcaraz's career, it's a great story of the development of a prodigy but lacks tension and can come off as a large PR piece at times.

There's no doubt that Alcaraz is one of the great tennis players of his generation and has the potential to be one of the best of all time, and this book does a phenomenal job of building that argument. The sections showing the differences between Carlos and Rafa were among my favorites as I felt that it went far beyond what you'd hear during Grand Slam broadcasts.

I'd recommend this book to tennis fans and/or anyone interested in a nice story on modern athlete development.

Overall 4.25/5 Stars and I hope there's an update or continuation to come as Alcaraz' career continues.

Thank You to NetGalley and Octopus Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.