The 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz recently made history by becoming the youngest champion in Wimbledon history. To achieve the incredible feat, Alcaraz defeated none other than Novak Djokovic in the final in a 5-set thriller that went right down to the wire. The 20-year-old won his second grand slam and had only recently talked about Kobe Bryant’s impact on his mindset. Speaking at a press conference around two months ago, Alcaraz spoke about the non-existence of failure in sports. According to Tennis World USA, Spanish International had said that he views losses as opportunities to grow, something he has proven in his young career thus far.
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With his famous Mamba mentality, Kobe Bryant has been responsible for inspiring thousands of athletes around the globe. Even years after his death, he is regularly remembered for his determination to win and his ability to deliver during the biggest moments. Apart from Alcaraz, Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka has also previously talked about how she was mentored by Kobe Bryant while speaking to GQ.
Carlos Alcaraz’s historic Wimbledon triumph comes months after his Kobe Bryant admission
At the age of 20, Alcaraz is rightly tipped to be the next superstar of the tennis world. Already a 2-time Grand Slam winner, the world number one is a complete player who has the determination and the stamina to outwork his opponents.
That is something that Kobe Bryant also showed at the biggest moments during his NBA career. The confession came after his win against the Russian Karen Khachanov at the Masters 1000 in Madrid, earlier this year. Alcaraz defeated Khachanov in straight sets in the Quarterfinals and went on to win the tournament. Alcaraz was asked after the game about his approach toward losing, and whether he looked at it as a failure:
“Failure does not exist in sport, Kobe Bryant already said so. It all depends on you and how you handle defeats. For me it represents an opportunity to continue to grow and learn. If you fail on Monday, it will try again on Tuesday and so on. You must never stop taking small steps forward, because you will surely fall on some occasions. The important thing is how you deal with negative moments, you have to be able to get back up even stronger. Failure shouldn’t be taken as something extremely negative, but rather as a lesson to keep improving.”
Needless to say, the 20-year-old has exactly the kind of attitude that is required to succeed in sports. Alcaraz has been improving at a rapid pace in recent years, and is already at the pinnacle of the sport, despite just starting out.
Carlos Alcaraz is not the only Grand Slam winner who looks up to Kobe Bryant
Speaking to GQ in 2020, Naomi Osaka also revealed the kind of impact that Bryant had on her career. Now 25, the 4-time Grand Slam winner met Kobe back in 2019 and struck up a close relationship with the 5-time NBA champion.
Osaka regarded Kobe as a brotherly figure who offered invaluable advice whenever she needed it. During a conversation about handling media pressure, Bryant advised her to see herself as a lion and view the reporters as insignificant gnats that couldn’t distract her.
Osaka revealed a heartwarming account of Bryant and was thankful for the kind of mentorship that he provided her with. His guidance has played a significant role in her remarkable success, and it appears that Carlos Alcaraz is already on track to follow a similar path.
