Move over, Javier Bardem: Carlos Alcaraz is in town. The four-time Grand Slam champion, basking in the glow of his Laver Cup-winning efforts on Sunday, said that the true key to his MVP-caliber performance was not his forehand, backhand or serves, but his acting skills.
Alcaraz, playing in the Laver Cup for the first time, contributed eight points to Team Europe’s eventual 13-11 win over Team World, which included a 6–2, 7–5 win over Taylor Fritz in the final match. But despite the immense pressure on the rookie’s shoulders, Alcaraz swung freely for the entirety of the final day—particurlarly late in the match against Fritz, where he won three straight games to clinch the Laver Cup after Fritz was two points from forcing a third-set match tiebreak.
“Where did you see tension today?” joked the Bulgarian in Team Europe’s final press conference when a reporter asked Alcaraz to compare the pressure of delivering for his team to the other high-profile finals he’s played in his young career.
But for Hollywood stars and Grand Slam champions, reality isn’t always as it seems.
