Carlos Alcaraz made his ATP Tour debut five years ago today as he embarked on a journey that saw him become one of the best players in men’s tennis.
Few players are more universally liked than the 21-year-old Spaniard, who has entertained fans since making his ATP Tour debut in 2020.
World number three, Carlos Alcaraz, is now a four-time Major champion, having won the US Open in 2022, Wimbledon in 2023, and both Wimbledon and the French Open last year.
He missed out on the chance to complete the Career Grand Slam in Melbourne last month, as Alcaraz lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 4-6.
The Spaniard managed to bounce back on his return to the court, however, as Alcaraz won the Rotterdam Open, beating Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the final.
Next up was a trip to Doha for the Qatar Open, as Alcaraz searches for an 18th tour-level title, five years after he made his professional debut.
Albert Ramos Vinolas: The man who lost to Carlos Alcaraz in his first professional match five years ago
Having won two futures tournaments in January 2020, Alcaraz traveled to Brazil for the Rio Open in February.
Awarded a Wild Card for the main draw, the 16-year-old Spaniard looked to make some noise on his ATP Tour debut.
Number seven seed Albert Ramos Vinolas awaited him in the first round, a veteran who had won two tour-level titles as a professional.
Brazilian fans were excited to see the highly-regarded Alcaraz make his debut against his fellow Spaniard in Rio.
In a tense affair, it was Alcaraz who struck first, clinching the first set tiebreaker, 7-6 [7-2], putting him just a set away from a first ATP victory.
Ramos Vinolas used all of his experience in the second, however, battling back to level things up at 1-1, against his younger countryman.
In a repeat of the first, Alcaraz won the third-set tiebreaker 7-2, as he secured his first win as a tennis professional.
He then advanced to take on Argentina’s Federico Coria in the second round, as he lost in three sets, putting an end to his Rio Open dreams.
Speaking after his first-round win at this week’s Qatar Open, Alcaraz reflected on his ATP Tour journey.
“It has been great,” he said.
“The journey since that moment has been a dream.
“I have faced difficult moments, I think everybody had to in the pandemic, and everything in the last five years.
“But this journey has been a dream since making my first ATP win, to reaching my dream, becoming number one in the world and winning Grand Slams so I am going to describe it as a dream.”
What happened next for Alcaraz has been well documented, although Ramos Vinolas’ next steps are perhaps less well known, as the Spaniard continued his search for success during the latter stages of his career.
What happened to Albert Ramos Vinolas after losing to 16-year-old Carlos Alcaraz five years ago?
Following his defeat to Alcaraz, Ramos Vinolas struggled through the remainder of 2020, as he won just one match at the Grand Slam level, finishing the year with a disappointing 9-14 ATP record.
Things picked up in 2021 and 2022, however, as the former world number 17 picked up his third and fourth ATP titles.
| Tournament | Round | Opponent | Score |
| 2022 Cordoba Open | F | Alejandro Tabilo | 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2022 Cordoba Open | SF | Juan Ignacio Londero | 7-6, 6-4 |
| 2022 Cordoba Open | QF | Lorenzo Sonego | 7-6, 7-5 |
| 2022 Cordoba Open | 2R | Juan Pablo Varillas | 6-4, 2-3 (RET) |
| 2022 Cordoba Open | 1R | Andrej Martin | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2021 Estoril Open | F | Cameron Norrie | 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2021 Estoril Open | SF | Alejandro Davidovich Fokina | 6-1, 6-4 |
| 2021 Estoril Open | QF | Corentin Moutet | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2021 Estoril Open | 2R | Pierre-Hugues Herbert | 6-2, 7-6 |
| 2021 Estoril Open | 1R | Fernando Verdasco | 6-3, 6-3 |
Having clinched victory at the Estoril Open in 2021, Ramos Vinolas won in Cordoba a year later to take home his fourth title at the ATP 250 level.
He continued to struggle at Majors, however, as the Spaniard has now failed to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since the 2018 French Open, 24 tournaments ago.
Ramos Vinolas arguably came closest to reaching the last 32 in Paris three years ago, when he took on Alcaraz for the third time.
Following his defeat to the youngster in Rio, he lost once more in Umag, Croatia, in 2021, as he looked for revenge at Roland Garros in 2022.
In a thriller, Ramos Vinolas narrowly fell to his compatriot in five sets, 6-1, 6-7, 5-7, 7-6, 6-4.
The 37-year-old has struggled in recent times and spent the majority of his 2024 season competing on the Challenger Tour.
Once ranked inside the top 20, Ramos Vinolas is currently ranked 180th in the world and hasn’t picked up an ATP Tour win in 357 days.
As a four-time tour champion and former Grand Slam quarter-finalist, Ramos Vinolas won’t soon be forgotten, especially by the man who beat him in Rio five years ago today.
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