CARLOS ALCARAZ: ATP TOUR

For nearly 20 years, the same three men have dominated tennis, winning a combined 63 majors. Now one Spanish teen is ready to give them a challenge.

- L. Jon Wertheim

Carlos Alcaraz had done it. He had just beaten five opponents to win the Barcelona Open tennis tournament, his second big title in less than a month. He had cracked the top 10 in the ATP Tour rankings. As a Spaniard, he had used the home crowd support as a source of encouragement and not pressure. And now it was time to celebrate.

Alcaraz left the clay court he had dominated all week and headed to the back of the Real Club de Tennis Barcelona the oldest tennis club in Spain-where the tournament has been held for almost a century. Without breaking stride, still wearing his shirt, shorts, and socks, and a wide smile on his face, he dove headfirst into the club's swimming pool. Soon Alcaraz was joined in the water by dozens of the ball boys and ball girls.

The image of the tournament champion frolicking in the water alongside these kids made for a viral video. But it was easy to forget: Alcaraz was swimming with kids his own age. Here was a superstar athlete closer in age to the teenage court attendants than the men he had just spent the week beating.

For almost 20 years, three men have dominated men's tennis, the way red dominates the color scheme of fire trucks. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have won more than 60 (!) major titles combined, batting around records as if they were tennis balls. It has made for a golden era in the sport. But it's left a lot of other players obscured by their shadow. Now, finally, a young new star has broken through. Hola, Carlos Alcaraz.

THE YEAR OF CARLITO