Carlos Alcaraz says no pressure to be ‘good ambassador’ for tennis
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World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz has become one of tennis’ most bankable stars.
PHOTO: AFP
MELBOURNE – Six-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz said on Jan 21 he feels no responsibility to be a “good ambassador” for tennis, in the way that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were before him.
The world No. 1, who booked his place in the Australian Open third round with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-2 victory over Yannick Hanfmann of Germany, has become one of the sport’s most bankable stars.
But the 22-year-old said he felt no extra pressure to be a spokesman for the sport.
“Not really. I don’t think about it, being a good ambassador for tennis,” he said.
“But obviously, at the same time, the way that I play, I said many times, sometimes it’s just trying to entertain the people, trying to engage people to watch more tennis.
“But I’m not thinking that I have to be the best ambassador possible to tennis. Just stepping on the court, I’m doing what I love to do, just playing tennis.
“It’s just about loving what you’re doing and enjoying every single second you step on the court. I think that’s it. That’s all that’s in my mind.”
Alcaraz is bidding to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam of all four Majors – a feat he will achieve if he finally wins the Australian Open.
So far, the Melbourne Park hard courts have proved his nemesis, as the Spaniard has failed to go past the quarter-finals in his four trips to Australia. He crashed at that stage to Novak Djokovic in 2025 and Alexander Zverev in 2024.
He struggled early on against Hanfmann, a player 12 years older who has never won a career title, but ground him down to set up a clash against France’s Corentin Moutet.
“I knew he was going to play great. I know his level, I played him a few times already,” Alcaraz added of the German.
“To be honest, it was tougher than I thought at the beginning. I didn’t feel the ball that good. You know, the ball was coming as a bomb, forehand, backhand, serve, everything. So I had to be really ready for that.
“Really, really happy that I got through a really difficult first set and then I started to feel a little bit better on the court with my shots. I’m just happy to have finished at a really good level and to get to play another round.”
Hanfmann had never gone past the second round in 16 previous Grand Slam main-draw appearances, but he started well and there was nothing to split the duo as the first set headed to a tiebreak.
The turning point came when Hanfmann netted a forehand on serve to give Alcaraz a 5-4 advantage and the Spaniard served to seal a marathon set that spanned 78 minutes.
The reigning French Open and US Open champion reset and quickly took a grip on the second set as he began to find his rhythm, rattling through it in 43 minutes.
Hanfmann was spent and needed a medical timeout for work on his left shoulder at the break.
He gamely carried on but Alcaraz, who won a career-best eight ATP Tour titles in 2025, scored a break to move 3-1 clear and made no mistakes as he sprinted to the finishing line.
Earlier, Daniil Medvedev also survived an early scare against Frenchman Quentin Halys but dug deep to record a 6-7 (9-11), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory.
“I feel I was playing much better in Brisbane,” said the Russian, who won the Brisbane International tune-up event
“But while you continue winning in a tournament, you find it step by step. It’s for the first time in a couple of years I am in a third round of a Grand Slam, so feeling good.”
Medvedev will face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in the next round.
Third seed Zverev also made it through in his decade-long quest for a first Grand Slam title, although he had to be patient amid a short rain delay in his evening match.
The German, who was the runner-up to Jannik Sinner at the Melbourne Major in 2025
