Spanish tennis icon Carlos Alcaraz claims playing golf “helps him turn off his mind” ahead of Wimbledon final
Carlos Alcaraz is at SW19 for the Wimbledon Championships and won his semifinal match against Daniil Medvedev on Friday, July 12. After the match, the Spaniard spoke about the role golf plays in his preparation.
Alcaraz was interviewed on the same Centre Court at the All England Club where he defeated Medvedev. The World No. 3 claimed that golf helps him clear his mind and relax.
This was part of what Carlos Alcaraz said (via NUCLR GOLF):
"I'm so, so bad [at golf], compared to my tennis, I mean, I love playing golf, I'm not too good, I'm just finding balls every time, I can't hit it straight. But it helps me a lot to turn off my mind a little bit and not think about tennis, and relax a little bit."
"Tomorrow, there's a huge percentage that I'm going to play golf, just to calm myself. I love playing, but I'm not too good."
Alcaraz is now waiting for the result of the match between Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti to find out who his opponent will be in the Wimbledon final on Sunday, July 12.
Alcaraz is the defending champion at Wimbledon. A victory on Sunday would give him his fourth Grand Slam title in just six seasons as a professional.
A closer look at Carlos Alcaraz's relationship with golf
Carlos Alcaraz has repeatedly expressed his passion for golf. He is a regular presence on golf courses, even in the middle of tournaments.
The day before his Wimbledon semifinal match against Daniil Medvedev, Alcaraz reportedly played golf with his brother, Alvaro, and his coach, former Spanish World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero. Alcaraz claimed that he plans to play again on Saturday before the final.
The Murcia native has been spotted practicing his putting with tennis rackets and balls on several occasions during warm-ups at various tournaments.
Alcaraz, 21, has been playing professional tennis for six years. He has 14 titles, including three at Grand Slam tournaments (2022 US Open, 2023 Wimbledon, and 2024 Roland Garros).
His wins also include five Masters 1000 tournaments. He won the Miami Open and Madrid Open in 2022, the Madrid Open in 2023, and the Indian Wells Open in 2023 and 2024. His career record is 187 wins and 49 losses.
In 2022, he became the youngest tennis player in history to become the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World No. 1 at the age of 19 years, 4 months and 6 days.
By winning the 2024 Roland Garros, Alcaraz also became the youngest player in history to win the so-called "Surface Slam," winning a Grand Slam tournament on each surface (clay, hard, and grass).