Editor’s note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es
Starting to get used to hearing the name Alcaraz? Its place on Tour may be even more assured than anyone imagined.
While Carlos Alcaraz has been impressing fans the world over with his meteoric rise to becoming the youngest No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings history, his biggest fan has been watching on from home.
His brother Jaime, at just 12 years of age the youngest of the four Alcaraz Garfia siblings, won a Rafa Nadal Tour heat this week in the under-12 category in Madrid. In a 48-player draw at the Club Internacional de Tenis Monte del Pilar, the Murcia native enjoyed a successful campaign, turning plenty of heads along the way.
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Jaime won the title seven years after Carlos triumphed on the same circuit. The current World No. 1 left an indelible mark on the competition, winning the Masters in both the under-12 (2015) and under-14 (2016) events, demonstrating his unstoppable talent even before his teenage years.
As the fourth seed, Jaime only dropped two sets in the five matches he required to claim the trophy. The brother of the recent Wimbledon champion claimed a 6-1, 1-6, 10/1 victory over Madrid native Beltrán Serrano, one of the best players in Spain in his age group.
The Rafa Nadal Tour is a charity tennis circuit that was conceived in 2014 by the former No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings to benefit the Rafa Nadal Foundation. Held annually, it includes under-12, under-14 and under-16 categories for both boys and girls. Its objective is to instil in young players the great values of sport, such as hard work, respect, determination and humility.
The 2023 Rafa Nadal Tour holds events in Barcelona (RCT Barcelona – 1899), Mairena del Aljarafe – Seville (Club Río Grande), Valldoreix-Barcelona (Club Esportiu Valldoreix), Valencia (Club Español de Tenis), Alicante (Club Atlético Montemar), Majadahonda-Madrid (Club Internacional de Tenis) and Gran Canaria (Cortijo Club de Campo).
The Masters event will be held from 2-5 November in Mallorca (Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar), where the top seven in the circuit’s ranking will compete in under-12 and under-14 categories, along with the top four in the under-16 event. The four winners of the “Values trophy” will also take part (two under-12s and two under-14s).
The under-12, under-14 and under-16 Spanish championships, held by the RFET, also count towards the circuit’s ranking. Therefore, the players from each of these tournaments will pick up points according to the round they reach.
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