Alcaraz says no pressure to be ‘good ambassador’ for tennis

Six-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz said Wednesday he feels no responsibility to be a good ambassador for tennis in the way that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were before him.

The world number one, who booked his place in the Australian Open third round with 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2 arm-wrestle over German Yannick Hanfmann, has become one of the sport’s most bankable stars.

But the 22-year-old said he felt no extra pressure to be a spokesman for the sport.

“Not really. I don’t think about it, being a good ambassador for tennis,” he said in Melbourne.

“But obviously at the same time, the way that I play, I said many times, sometimes it’s just trying to entertain the people, trying to engage people to watch more tennis.

“But I’m not thinking that I have to be the best ambassador possible to tennis. Just stepping on the court, I’m doing what I love to do, just playing tennis.

“It’s just about loving what you’re doing and enjoying every single second you step on the court. I think that’s it. That’s all that’s in my mind.”

Alcaraz is bidding to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam of all four majors in Australia.

So far, the Melbourne Park hard courts have proved his nemesis, failing to go past the quarter-finals in his four trips to Australia.

He struggled early on against Hanfmann, a player 12 years older who has never won a career title, but ground him down to set up a clash next against France’s Corentin Moutet.

“I knew he was going to play great. I mean, I know his level, I played him a few times already,” he said of the German.

“To be honest, it was tougher than I thought at the beginning. I didn’t feel the ball that good. You know, the ball was coming as a bomb, forehand and backhand,” he added.

“Really, really happy that I got through a really difficult first set and then I started to feel a little bit better on the court.”