Carlos Alcaraz revealed his problems finding a partner: he hasn't had a girlfriend for 18 months

's rise

to the tennis Olympus was marathon.

A professional since 2018, he won his first Grand Slam last year, in New York, and the week after that triumph he became the youngest number one in history.

At barely 19 years old, the Spaniard had fulfilled the dream that had driven him since his beginnings -a dream that many players never come true- and he had become the new great star of the circuit.

But what came next was not easy for him. 

This is how the Murcian confessed in an interview he gave to

magazine , while he was training at the

Academy , his coach, in Villena, Spain.

"I had a bad run after winning the

," said the world number two consulted for the most difficult moment of his short and extraordinary career.

"I really enjoyed that moment. But when I had to compete again, there was a moment where I thought:

Maybe I hadn't fully assimilated what had happened. Or maybe, instinctively, I lost hope a little."

Alcaraz reached the Olympus of tennis after shouting champion in New York.

What came next was not easy for him.

Photo Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP

And he continued: "I think what happened was that, when I saw that I had achieved what I had dreamed of since I was little, unconsciously that aspiration faded a bit. And that was hard. Because nobody was enjoying it: not me, on the court; nor Juanki, seeing me so dull and lacking in spark. And I thought

".

That bad moment was left behind.

Alcaraz finished 2022 at the top of the ranking -he gave up that position last month, after

's triumph in Australia- and in a good tennis moment, beyond an abdominal injury that sidelined him from the

and the Finals of the

.

And after recovering from the leg problem that forced him to delay the start of his 2023 season, he kicked off the season last week at the

, where he won his seventh title. 

Alcaraz started his 2023 with renewed energy and won the title at the Argentina Open.

Photo Maxi Failla - CLARIN

played an important role in this mental recovery

, who had already helped him in his early years as a professional.

"I was a little disoriented. I didn't control my emotions well, I got very angry. When I was 15 or 16 years old, I would throw my rackets a lot, or break one, and that put my game at risk. I knew I had to improve in that aspect. Thanks to Isabel, I was able to do it. Feeling calm during such a demanding year is essential. And from my point of view, it's crucial to go out onto the court smiling and feeling happy. That helps you mentally. For me, it's everything," he said. 

Carlitos aims to recover No. 1 this year, but he knows that the most difficult thing in tennis is not getting there, but staying.

"What Rafa (

), Roger (

) and Djokovic have done is almost impossible. When you've won your first Grand Slam you realize how complicated it is," he commented in that chat with Vogue, analyzing the dominance he exercised - and continues to wield - the

for almost two decades.

And he clarified why his childhood idol was not the Mallorcan, but the Swiss.

"

is someone I always look up to and I admire him a lot. But the class that Federer had, the way he made people see tennis, was beautiful. Watching Roger is like looking at a work of art. He's elegance, what He did everything magnificently. I was delighted with him."

open heart

Alcaraz in training in January at the Juan Carlos Ferrer Academy in Villena, Spain.

Photo Instagram @carlitosalcarazz

Alcaraz opened his heart and head in the interview and shared details of his life outside of tennis.

And he confessed how difficult it is for him to maintain a relationship: he has been single for 18 months.

"It's complicated because we never stay long in one place. It's hard to find the person who can share things with you if you're always in different parts of the world," he explained.

The Murcian also said that when tennis gives him rest, his day to day is that of a normal 19-year-old boy.

He likes to spend time with his friends, watch soccer (he is a confessed fan of

) and enjoys board games.

"I love chess," he said.

"Having to concentrate, playing against another person, the strategy, having to think ahead. In that it is very similar to the tennis court, that's why I play it a lot. On the court, you have to guess where the other is going to send the ball player, you have to move in advance and try to do something that makes him uncomfortable".

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And he said that the money he is earning in his sports career - added to what he earns from his commercial contracts - is not managed by him. 

"My father takes care of it. I'm quite young and I have my whims, but I'm very natural, normal, humble. I don't pay much attention to brands or cars. If I like something, I try to buy it, but in the end my father takes care of everything," he explained.

And he clarified that these tastes that he often gives himself are not extravagant: "I am a fan of

shoes (NdR: One of his sponsors). There are vintage models that are quite expensive. They are exclusive or difficult to find. And that is the Kind of things I buy, if I like them. There's some

, there's some

, some that

put out . I want to have a big collection, that's my goal. Now I have about 20".

look too

ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro, day 2: the gesture that Alcaraz repeated with a ball girl in the deluge that canceled the day

The fight for No. 1: Alcaraz can catch up with Djokovic, but the Serbian has a little-known advantage that will help him stay at the top of world tennis