Being Carlos Alcaraz

The Man Behind the Smile

By: Mark Hodgkinson

Narrated by: Russell Bentley

'This is a wonderful book. I love it. Mark's research is amazing, with the in-depth interviews and level of detail providing great insights into who Carlos Alcaraz is.'
- Annabel Croft, broadcaster and former tennis player:

'A perfect match of author and subject. Mark Hodgkinson's mix of style and substance - flair and professionalism - mirrors Carlos Alcaraz on a tennis court.'
- Jon Wertheim, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated

'This is a great window into the background and processes of arguably the most exciting player in men's tennis right now.'
- Charlie Eccleshare, tennis correspondent for the New York Times and The Athletic

'A highly readable portrait of tennis's most exciting young talent.'
- Conor Niland, a former tennis player and the winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award 2024 for 'The Racket'

'This is a brilliant book. The detail on offer is extraordinary ... A cracking read for any tennis fan.'
- Courtney Walsh, Fox Sports in Australia

INSIDE THE MIND OF A YOUNG ICON CHASING TENNIS HISTORY
Based on new interviews with those closest to him - including coaches, friends, old teachers and other villagers - Being Carlos Alcaraz offers fresh insights into a tennis phenomenon. From a modest apartment above a kebab shop in the village of El Palmar to glory on the sport's biggest stages, this captivating book traces Alcaraz's emergence and contrasts his story against the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer.

Grit. Joy. Swagger. Belief. The dark moments between the smiles. The tears. The broken racquets. The tension of wanting to be a normal young man while aspiring to tennis greatness. Being Carlos Alcaraz delves into the emotional and cultural forces that have shaped a modern icon - one destined to redefine tennis for years to come.©2025 Mark Hodgkinson (P)2025 Octopus Publishing Group

Loved the content but ruined by the narration

Narration was terrible. A British narrator for a book about a Spaniard. The number of mispronounced names of people and places really distracted from the interesting story of this amazing young player.

Terrible writing and worse narration

I love good sports writing and adore Carlos Alcaraz, so I looked forward to this book with keen anticipation. It is basically a series of superficial social media posts (Carlos smiles! Carlos sees a sports psychologist! Carlos has a very close family!) stretched into tedious, long-winded, repetitive chapters. You know you’re in trouble when the author feels the need to say “as we will see in later chapters,” over and over, as if he knows that what you’re reading is too boring to continue. The reader might be narrating a high school history textbook, and his mispronunciations of so many names and events are maddening! Roland Gare-ROSS? Paul Anacone-ee? Utter waste of time and money.