SHORTLISTED 2026

International Sports Book of the Year | Shortlisted

Being Carlos Alcaraz

by Mark Hodgkinson

The Man Behind the Smile

From a modest apartment above a kebab shop in the village of El Palmar to glory on the sport’s biggest stages, this captivating book, based on interviews with those close to him, traces Alcaraz’s emergence and the forces that shaped him, while contrasting his story against Djokovic, Nadal and Federer. 

Mark Hodgkinson chronicled a defining era in tennis, writing compelling biographies of Novak Djokovic (which won the prize for Best International Sports Book at last year’s awards), Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Serena Williams. As the Telegraph’s tennis correspondent, Mark ghosted columns for Martina Navratilova, Björn Borg and Pete Sampras.

Explore the rest of the International Sports Book of the Year Shortlist