Passionate Italian fans and their tales bear a long history. All the way back in 1984, Jimmy Arias was subjected to abuse when he was arguing with the umpire for a call he wouldn’t overrule. Soon enough, the venue was filled with the chants of “Shamo,” which translates to ‘stupid.’ They didn’t soften up when he stopped to sign autographs, and nothing makes us think they would soften up for a rival of their homegrown star.

During a second-set changeover, Italian star Lorenzo Musetti was up for an introduction. But just then, the Jumbotron decided to project Alcaraz entering the arena, and the crowd went slightly wild. The Spaniard got a loud chorus of boos from about 12,000 fans at the Inalpi Arena.

This isn’t the first time either. The Italian crowd greeted Carlos Alcaraz with hostility upon his arrival in Turin. While some made their feelings clear when he arrived for his match against Taylor Fritz on Tuesday, a few were even heard shouting at him outside his hotel.

For the day, Alcaraz will be facing crowd favorite Musetti to end his group stage. And most likely that very fact triggered the fans’ reaction. But also, we can’t deny the rivalry between the Spaniard and Italy’s much-loved Jannik Sinner.

When the 24-year-old hit No.1 last year, surveys amplified that his home crowd was slowly switching soccer balls for tennis rackets. The following had increased, national television was at a crossroads —  country’s football team to broadcast or ATP tournaments? — and children enrollment was up by 30%. Moreover, the registrations across tennis clubs had surpassed millions.

Now, Alcaraz is battling that very celebrated figure, who sparked the movement, for the No.1 spot.

With his tight 7-6 (5), 6-2 win over de Minaur and a 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 win over Fritz, he matched Sinner’s record of 15 wins against Top 10 players this season. Further, his third round of the round-robin against Musetti could not only ensure his 70th win this season, but also officially declare him as the year-end World No.1.

From Yoshihito Nishioka and Jakub Mensik to Daniil  Medvedev, many have experienced the passionate Italian crowd. But standing against Sinner, Alcaraz’ is up for a difficult environment.

Update: After a 6-4 6-1 win over Musetti, Alcarz has clinched his world No.1 honor. He has racked up 8 titles this season, including 2 Grand Slams. Five of those were against Sinner himself. Whether he will be able to add to it, will soon be known.

Until then, facing the Italians on his home soil will be a tough test. Still, Carlos knows how to handle criticism.

Carlos Alcaraz is no stranger to shutting down the critics

On November 11, a fan account called Alcaraz Updates posted a clip from his interview with Diario AS. Speaking in Spanish, he kept it real about social media negativity: “There are losses that, honestly, I don’t care about. Reading negative comments about, in the end, both doing things right and doing things wrong, you will receive negative comments, either from people who are truly your fans or from people who are just haters.” He added, “In the end, we try not to pay much attention to those comments. And yes, there have been certain losses where some negative comments do end up affecting you.” 

It goes without saying that Carlos Alcaraz is no stranger to the spotlight. At just 19, he became world No. 1 in 2022 and quickly earned comparisons to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Now 22, he’s a household name with 7.9 million Instagram followers and a fanbase that stretches across the globe. Still, even a player this popular can’t escape the sting of online criticism.

This year, Alcaraz has known that pressure well. After losing the Wimbledon final to Sinner earlier this year, the criticism was brutal. But Carlos Alcaraz leaned on his longtime psychologist, Isabel Balaguer, who has guided him for about five years. “Yes, I’ve had her for about five years now, and she helps me a lot. I really feel the difference compared to the past,” he told Gazzetta. “Sometimes I get negative thoughts, but she helps me manage them. She gives advice on handling match stress, and things have improved a lot.”

With Balaguer’s support, Alcaraz is learning to shut out the noise and stay grounded while chasing greatness.