Being Carlos Alcaraz by Mark Hodgkinson #BeingCarlosAlcaraz @thetennisspace @Octopus_Books @carlosalcaraz @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

A deeply researched biography of the new (smiley) face of tennis. A global star who has achieved more than Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer did by this stage of their careers. At just 19 years old, Carlos Alcaraz won the US Open and became the youngest ever men's world number one. At only 21, he already had four Grand Slam titles.

For Alcaraz, everything - from his charm to his star power to his tennis mojo - starts with a smile. But there is a more complex character behind the smile. One who grew up in modest circumstances in a small village in Murcia in southern Spain. A man with strong family traditions who has a tattoo of his grandfather's favourite saying - 'cabeza, corazon y cojones' (brain, heart and balls) - inked on his left wrist.

Mark Hodgkinson talks to those who know Alcaraz best - including his coaches, old teachers and competitors - to provide a fascinating insight into a showman with ambitions of becoming the GOAT, the greatest of all time.

Being Carlos Alcaraz by Mark Hodgkinson was published on 4 September 2025 by Cassell / Octopus. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

I do not play tennis, but I am a huge fan of watching Wimbledon on the TV, it's really the only sport that I love to watch and I'd love to actually sit on Centre Court and watch a match. My parents are not in the. least sporty, it was my Nana who introduced me to the tennis on TV in the 1980s. I'd go round to her house (just around the corner), and we would watch for hours. 

Whilst the 'bad boy' players such as McEnroe and more recently, Nick Kyrgios, are entertaining to watch for a while, I really love the skilled, yet gentlemanly players. Rafa Nadal is my all time favourite and his successor, Carlos Alcaraz has really stolen my heart in recent years. 

In Being Carlos Alcaraz Hodgkinson has produced something that is both readable and respectful, that balances the shine of Carlos Alcaraz’s achievements with the grit behind them.

Carlos Alcaraz is already a superstar, even at a young age—Grand Slams, world number ones, comparisons with legends. Hodgkinson digs into that, yes, but also pulls back to show us the beginnings: a modest childhood in Murcia, family influences, the traditions, the sacrifices. We meet coaches, old teachers, competitors. We see the smile, the charm, but also the complexity: what it takes to keep going, the pressures, the expectations.

Being Carlos is very much worth your time. It doesn’t just celebrate a tennis phenomenon; it humanises him. I closed the final page feeling not only impressed by Alcaraz’s accomplishments, but also warmed by the sense of what drives him: heart, humility, determination (and yes, the smile).

Mark Hodgkinson is known for his compelling biographies of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Serena Williams. His last book - Searching for Novak - was long-listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year and described as 'a terrific book' by tennis legend Chris Evert.

A former Daily Telegraph tennis correspondent, he has ghostwritten columns for Boris Becker, Martina Navratilova, Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras, and also collaborated on a book with boxer Lawrence Okolie and on a golf project with singer Robbie Williams. Mark worked on two fitness books with Daniel Craig, Tom Hiddleston and their trainer Simon Waterson, one of which became an Amazon bestseller. Additionally, he authored a bestselling book for Naomi Osaka's former coach, Sascha Bajin, and has collaborated with psychologist Charlie Unwin and former Marine Nick Goldsmith. Mark consults for international sports brands in Europe, the United States and Japan.