Carlos Alcaraz has shared an amusing take on how he has influenced the likes of Coco Gauff and Cameron Norrie with his recent trip to Ibiza. The Spaniard playfully suggested that he deserved compensation for the inspiration he had provided.
Despite the controversy caused by his decision to take a trip to Ibiza before the 2024 grass season, Alcaraz repeated the three-day getaway this year after his triumph at the French Open. After enjoying his time with his friends, the Spaniard clinched the Queen’s Club Championships title and has been producing a strong campaign at Wimbledon as the two-time defending champion.
Interestingly, the World No. 2’s move has served as inspiration for his fellow players, with Cameron Norrie disclosing that he adopted the “Carlos method” and simply relaxed in Ibiza for a few days before the grass season. Coco Gauff has also contemplated the idea of following in the 22-year-old’s footsteps, admitting that she wanted to know “exactly what he ate, exactly what he drank, and how late he went to bed each night” so she could emulate him.
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During a press conference at Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz spoke about his influence over players like Norrie, joking that he would have to ask Ibiza for a commission given how many tennis stars had asked him about the trip.
"A lot of tennis players have told me about Ibiza. So I don’t know. I’m just gonna ask Ibiza to pay me a little bit for that," Carlos Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz made the remarks after claiming a 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over Andrey Rublev to advance to the quarterfinals of the grasscourt Major. The Spaniard will battle it out against Cameron Norrie for a spot in the semifinals.
"Facing Cameron Norrie is almost a nightmare, to be honest" - Carlos Alcaraz on 'really difficult' Wimbledon QF
Carlos Alcaraz enjoys a 4-2 lead in his head-to-head record against Cameron Norrie, despite losing their most recent encounter in the 2023 Rio Open final. Despite his winning record, the Spaniard called it a "nightmare" to square off against Norrie.
"Facing Cam is always really, really difficult. We have really difficult battles already. Facing him is almost a nightmare, to be honest. Really tough from the baseline. I'm not surprised he's in the quarter-finals playing great tennis because I've seen him practising," Carlos Alcaraz said in the same press conference.
"When he lost at Queen's [to Jakub Mensik], he stayed for five days practising morning, afternoon, and night. I saw him. So I'm not surprised at all seeing his level. It's going to be really different," he added.
Alcaraz also acknowledged that he would have to remain focused in the face of the crowd rooting against him, as spectators would rally behind the home favorite.
"He's playing at home, as well, so he's going to use the crowd to his side. I have to be really strong mentally and focused to play good tennis if I want to beat him," he said.
If Carlos Alcaraz triumphs over Cameron Norrie, he will face the winner of the match between Taylor Fritz and Karen Khachanov in the semifinals at Wimbledon.
