Carlos Alcaraz has rapidly ascended in the tennis world, achieving numerous milestones at a remarkably young age. He turned professional in 2018, and by 2021, at the age of 17, he secured his first ATP title at the Umag Open. At 19, he had won the 2022 US Open, becoming the youngest man to reach the world No. 1 ranking as well. Fast forward to now, he has a total of 4 GS titles to his name, and his career is marked by a series of ‘youngest to’ records, indicating his rapid progression. And Carlitos is not stopping anytime soon!

Alcaraz has stormed back into the spotlight with a thrilling victory at the Monte Carlo Masters, clinching his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title. The Spaniard defeated Lorenzo Musetti in a dramatic 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 comeback to claim his first Monte Carlo crown. After a shaky start, he found his rhythm, dominating the final two sets with relentless energy and precision. His triumph marks a return to form after recent setbacks, including a first-round exit in Miami and a semifinal fall in Indian Wells.

This win wasn’t just about the trophy—it came with a historic financial milestone. With the €946,610 winner’s paycheck converting to over $1 million, Alcaraz’s career prize money has now surpassed $40 million.

This makes him the first player born in the 2000s to reach such earnings and the 11th player ever in ATP or WTA history to hit this mark. He has joined legends like Novak Djokovic ($186,933,983), Rafael Nadal ($134,946,100), Roger Federer ($130,594,339), and Serena Williams ($94,816,730) on this elite list. Alcaraz continues to rewrite records at an astonishing pace.

Additionally, the Spaniard edges past his rival Jannik Sinner with $40,231,787, while WTA’s Iga Swiatek trails close behind at $35,224,252.  Not to mention, this victory also solidifies Alcaraz’s place among tennis greats at a young age. He joins his idol Rafa as one of the youngest players to reach finals at both Monte Carlo and Roland Garros by age 21.

Now ranked World No. 2 after displacing Alexander Zverev, Alcaraz is poised for more glory as he heads into the clay season with momentum and confidence. But his journey is far from over. After all, the clay season has just begun! What does Alcaraz have to say about his path ahead?

Carlos Alcaraz gets real about the rest of the clay season

Carlos Alcaraz has truly found his groove on clay courts, where his versatile, powerful, and agile style shines brightest. His trophy cabinet tells the story: from the 2021 Plava Laguna Croatia Open to the 2022 Rio Open, back-to-back wins at the 2022 and 2023 Barcelona and Madrid Opens, the 2024 French Open, and now the Monte-Carlo Masters.

After his latest win at Monte Carlo, the young Spaniard acknowledged the pressure ahead. “A lot of people have really high expectations on me, on having a really good clay season. Probably they want me to win almost every tournament, so it’s [going to] be difficult to deal with it, I guess,” he said.

But Alcaraz has learned a vital lesson: “No matter what happens on court—if I win, if I lose—I just have to leave the court happy. I’m proud about everything I have done.” That mindset clearly fueled his Monte-Carlo success.

Now sitting at No. 2 in the world, Alcaraz plans to keep his focus razor-sharp as the clay season heats up. “In the next couple of months, I will try to just keep going the same way that I approached this tournament and not think about the people talking about expectations,” he explained. For him, tuning out the noise and listening only to his team and close circle is key.

When the inevitable comparisons to Rafael Nadal’s legendary clay dominance come up, Alcaraz keeps it real.: “Thinking about 11 [Monte-Carlo titles] is impossible, honestly,” he said with a smile.

With such a stellar record on clay and a grounded mindset, the big question is – can Carlos Alcaraz keep the momentum rolling and snag another title in Barcelona before the French Open kicks off on May 25?