Tennis superstar Carlos Alcaraz gets covered in red clay for eye-catching “Vanity Fair” photo shoot

As an avid tennis fan since the 1980s, there have only been less than a handful of superstars who have captured a piece of my heart that way that Carlos Alcaraz has. It’s the kind of fandom where you’ll wake up in the middle of the night to watch them compete in a grand slam final and when they lose, it’s enough to kind of ruin your day. (The others have been Chrissie Evert, Steffi Graf and Roger Federer).

Carlos, who is the cover subject of Vanity Fair’s Global Sports Issue, is off the tennis tour for a few months as he recovers from a wrist injury. I have to admit to being far less interested in what is happening at the Italian Open this week and am not chomping at the bit to watch the French Open the way I usually am!

Alcaraz, the reigning Australian, French and US Open champion, is hoping to return to the game in time to compete at Wimbledon where he was champion in 2023 and 2024 and runner-up last year. He has won seven grand slam titles in all, is the youngest player to complete the career grand slam, and is the game’s biggest superstar. Even my 88-year-old mom is a rabid fan of Carlitos and stayed up until 3 am with me in January to watch him win his first Australian Open title.

Vanity Fair article notes that “Carlitos” goes viral online with the same speed and ease he hits a tennis ball. He has earned a perennial spot on social media feeds of anyone who is remotely interested in tennis or men. From the Australian Open alone: more than 1.2 million views on TikTok for defending his opponent Alex de Minaur from a time violation warning, another 3 million on Instagram for removing his tank top after a match and nodding at the camera after erupting applause; 3 million on Instagram for a supercut of him after his victory in Melbourne; and 9.2 million across both platforms for his “vibing” with his headphones on after a match.

Then there’s the hundreds of thousands of views Alcaraz procures from clips and supercuts from some of his most memorable points, remarkable foot speed, and impressive strength. He has been described as a “human highlight reel” by the tennis podcaster Matt Roberts, an assessment backed by The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The New York Times.