“Special and unforgettable day” – Carlos Alcaraz delighted to receive Spanish Sportsman of the Year 2022 award from King Felipe VI

Carlos Alcaraz has just been honored with the ‘Rey Filipe Award’ for the year 2022, receiving the prestigious title of Spanish Sportsman of the Year from the King of Spain.

In 2022, King Felipe presented the Spanish Sportsman of the Year award to Alcaraz. The Spaniard had an outstanding year, claiming his first Grand Slam victory at the US Open and rising to the top spot in the world rankings.

At the young age of 20, he achieved four major victories in the ATP circuit, including two ATP 500 titles at the Rio Open and the Barcelona Open, as well as two ATP Masters at the Miami Open and Madrid Open.

Alcaraz expressed his gratitude to the jury of the National Sports Awards on Instagram for choosing him as the recipient of the Rey Filipe Award.

“Special and unforgettable day! Many thanks to His Majesties the Kings for delivering me this award! Equally, I would like to thank the jury of the National Sports Awards, as well as @deportegob, for granting me the Rey Felipe Award,”wrote Alacarz on his Instagram. (translated by google translate)

The young Spaniard also utilized X (previously known as Twitter) to convey appreciation for the recognition.

“Thank you very much,”wrote Alcaraz.

Alcaraz has previously encountered King Filipe VI before. In 2023, when the Spaniard triumphed over Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, King Filipe was present and seated in the royal box.

The Spaniard happily mentioned his experience of performing in front of the King and also playfully suggested that King Felipe VI should make it a habit to attend more of his matches, considering his winning streak whenever the King is in attendance.

“It’s special to play in front of royalty. King Felipe, I am really proud that you are here supporting me. When I played in front of you twice, twice I won — I hope you are coming more. It is really special, and I have to thank you for coming and supporting,”Alcaraz said in the presentation ceremony.

Rising Star Carlos Alcaraz Prepares for Monte-Carlo Masters on Clay Courts

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters

Carlos Alcaraz is currently preparing for the European clay court season, which he will kick off with the Monte-Carlo Masters starting on April 7 and ending on April 14. As a 20-year-old, he faces the challenge of defending 2265 points in the upcoming clay season.

A video of the Spaniard’s clay court practice was posted by a user on X (previously known as Twitter).

In 2023, Alcaraz had an outstanding performance on clay, emerging victorious in 16 out of 18 matches. He successfully retained his titles at both the Barcelona Open and Madrid Open. Additionally, he had a strong showing at the French Open, reaching the semifinals before ultimately falling to Novak Djokovic.