Food Court: Alcaraz On Learning To Cook & A Fondness For Kebabs

At the age of 19, Carlos Alcaraz has already won two ATP Masters 1000 titles and is one of the leading favourites at Roland Garros this fortnight.

Possessing an impressive physique that has powered his meteoric rise, the Spaniard let ATPTour.com into a few of his dietary secrets, also discussing his room for improvement in the kitchen and the Murcian kebab scene.

Let’s say you have to cook tonight, either for yourself or friends. What do you cook and why?
Right now, I’d tell my friends to bring their own food in case my food isn’t any good (laughs). And I would make them, I don’t know… meat and potatoes. That’s it. I just don’t know how to cook much. But, actually, I’d like to cook them a good baked fish. Yes, that’s it, salt-baked seabass with roasted potatoes. That would be a good dinner.

Are you that bad in the kitchen?
I only know the basics. Pasta, tortillas… I’d like to know more things because I like cooking, but I still haven’t had the time to learn.

Is learning to cook something you want to do or a real goal for the future?
I’ll do it at some point, yes. But in Murcia I live with my parents, so I don’t cook. If I live on my own one day, yes, I’d like to learn to cook for myself and cook for people who come over. Also, to look after myself in that regard when I’m in Murcia.

Are you strict with your diet?
I don’t follow a diet as such, but I do try to look after myself. I’ve really learnt what’s good for my career, and what isn’t. But when I have to go on a bit of a diet, I do.

How have you learned to identify what is good for you to eat?
I don’t really have a nutritionist, but my physio, Juanjo Moreno, knows a lot. He is a really curious guy and he tries to study nutrition and gives me advice at tournaments. I’ve gradually learnt.

What is your diet like?
I eat a lot of fish, more than meat. I eat quite a lot of pasta, that’s good for athletes. And I’m lucky that I can eat a lot without putting on weight in terms of fat. It’s good for me to eat quite a lot, and that’s what I do. I also eat a lot of salad, a lot of rice… I love sushi! It’s so good.

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Do you have any guilty pleasures?
I’m not really into desserts or sweets, but when I’m in Murcia I do occasionally like to get my hamburgers, my pizzas… I really love that.

Is there anything you can’t eat?
No. I eat what I want… I really try to look after myself, but if I see something I like, I’m really happy to have it. There are people who won’t eat a certain food, but not me. I’m happy to eat whatever they put in front of me.

Do people poke fun at you for eating so much?
I just like eating… my friends say to me ‘You really eat a lot, but you don’t get fat, do you?’ And I tell them ‘You don’t eat enough, eat more.’ They say ‘It’s easy for you to say as you don’t put on weight.’ That’s how it generally goes.

What do you eat the night before a match?
Sushi, I have that a lot.

What do you eat just before a match and how many hours beforehand do you eat it?
I have a plate of mixed gluten-free pasta. That is, pasta with and without gluten, with a cocoa cream called Ambrosía that has olive oil and dates in it. I normally eat all that, more or less, one and a half hours before a match.

And what do you eat during a match?
When it’s match time, I normally have a bar with dates, egg whites and, I think, guarana in it. And I normally have bananas, too. I’ve been eating that for a long time, like a year and a half, and I really do like it.

What can you eat during a week with no tournament that you can’t when you’re competing?
There aren’t many changes. The only thing that changes is supplements. In pre-season, for example, I have more, but that’s it.

If you go to one of your favourite restaurants, what do you order?
I really like pasta…I don’t have a favourite restaurant as such, but if I go to a good one and it has pasta, I normally order it.

What would people be surprised to learn that you like eating?
Kebabs. I eat them a lot when I’m in Murcia. But really, I’m very simple. I don’t think I’d surprise anyone with what I eat.