Cabeza, Corazón y Cojones: Carlos Alcaraz embraces luchador spirit in soaring heat of Cincinnati Open

Carlos Alcaraz’s post-match interview at the Cincinnati Open had a little bit of everything — from the searing on-court heat to an unexpected venture into the world of professional wrestling via a viral moment at the Cincinnati Open. He saw off Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday.

Just a day or two earlier, the Spaniard had been spotted near the practice courts wearing a colourful luchador mask, a moment that quickly went viral. “I had to think about it!” Alcaraz laughed during an interview on Tennis Channel after his opening win. “I practised wrestling when I was really, really young with my brother. So the moment I put it on, I knew there were going to be pictures and videos of it. I knew it. And as you can see, it was just for one second, but it went everywhere.”

When asked what his wrestling name would be, Alcaraz hesitated before being offered a suggestion by the interviewer: Cabeza, Corazón y Cojones. The world No. 1 broke into a grin. “That sounds good! I think that would scare the opponent.”

Off the court, Alcaraz has been soaking in Cincinnati’s scorching summer conditions — and on the court, using them to his advantage. “Sometimes we’re just focused on ourselves — thinking that we’re struggling a lot with the heat, with the sun, feeling bad — and we forget about the opponent,” he explained. “The opponent is struggling as well, or even more than you are. So I try to think about the opponent and make the battle really tough.

“I’m from Murcia, which is really hot in the summer, so I tell myself that I have to get used to it — or that I’m already used to it. I try not to let the sun affect my game or me. I just keep going, try to make the points shorter if I can, or if I see the opponent is struggling a lot, make them longer. It depends. I’m just trying to think about the sun and still play my game.”

Adjusting on the fly

Those mental adjustments were in play during his 6-4, 6-4 win over Hamad Medjedovic, a match where he fired 12 aces and was broken only once. “Yeah, absolutely,” he said when asked if he felt sharper than in his opening round. “It just felt much better than the first round. I think I’m feeling more comfortable, hitting the ball much better after every day, which is great.

“I think today was a little bit tougher because the opponent is really powerful — he hits really hard. With the speed of the court, it’s tough to control the ball and get a good feeling. But I think today I did pretty well, stayed really focused. I’m feeling ready, feeling much more comfortable. Hopefully tomorrow will be even better.”

One key moment came early in the second set when, after going up 3-2 with a break, Alcaraz dropped serve. Rather than let the frustration linger, he immediately broke back. “I knew he was struggling physically. I think he asked for a medical timeout. I saw him struggling to move, so I told myself that I had to stay there. I knew I was going to have more chances to break his serve and be up in the set.

“I tried to move him as much as I could, and he made a few mistakes in that game. I got lucky because at 40-15, I hit a return that somehow landed in — I don’t know how — but I got the momentum in that game and everything went to my side. I just stayed there because I saw him struggling physically.”

Looking ahead, Alcaraz is also excited about the team atmosphere at this year’s Laver Cup, where he plans to bring the same energy he carries on tour. “I’m going to try to bring positive vibes to the team, good energy always,” he said. “I’ll try to help the team win the Laver Cup again. I love that event because you get to know the opponents off the court as well. Sometimes you’re a coach too, which I love — seeing how the players and rivals view the game from the outside. For me, it’s great. I’ll try to bring my positive energy to the team. We’ll see, but I’m excited.”