Camilo Ugo Carabelli will walk onto Court Guillermo Vilas on Thursday to play one of the biggest matches of his career: a showdown with top seed Carlos Alcaraz at the IEB+ Argentina Open.
If the Argentine really wanted to, he could make the journey from his front doorstep to the ATP 250 at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, located just five blocks from Ugo Carabelli’s home.
At No. 134 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, the 24-year-old has enjoyed a red-hot start to the season, claiming an ATP Challenger Tour title in Piracicaba, Brazil earlier this month and this week as a qualifier, earning just his third tour-level main draw win against Juan Pablo Varillas to set a second-round meeting with the two-time major champion Alcaraz.
“He has all the shots. Forehand, backhand, serve, volleys,” Ugo Carabelli told ATPTour.com. “He's very fast and I look to enjoy the match Thursday.”
The Buenos Aires native started playing tennis aged seven at Parque Norte, three kilometres from the IEB+ Argentina Open, where he volunteered as a ballboy. “When I was a ballboy, I was at the club all day... the tournament director Martin [Jaite] had to take me out of the players' room because I would go in to play the Playstation or steal ice cream,” he said.
Ugo Carabelli did not have pro tennis aspirations until he was 17. Prior to that, he relished the joys of childhood, spending a few summers in Brazil where he took on the role of a pirate for his grandfather's tourist attraction company. Ugo Carabelli’s mother, Maria Marta, also works for the family business in Florianopolis while his father, Gustavo Ugo, works in logistics for a hospital.
Ugo Carabelli entertains tourists by dressing as a pirate. Credit: Camilo Ugo Carabelli
Tennis came naturally to Ugo Carabelli, who also played football as a child. His mother would pick him up from football practice before they went to Parque Norte to watch the end of his older brother Jeremias’ tennis lesson.
“My brother said, ‘Come hit with me.’ The first time I hit the ball, it was perfect,” Ugo Carabelli said. “My brother said, ‘Whoa, I think you can play tennis better than football.’ Because me and football are very bad.”
Ugo Carabelli’s family traditionally hosted other South American tennis players at their house for several weeks a year. Through the family’s gracious invitations, Camilo developed a close relationship with current World No. 27 Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who he once played in a practice match at the ATP 250 venue. “We must have been 11 or 12 years old, and he gave me a terrible beating,” Ugo Carabelli recalled.
Ugo Carabelli (left) and Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Credit: Ugo Carabelli family
One of 12 Argentines in the Top 150, Ugo Carabelli has been working with former World No. 37 Carlos Berlocq for eight months. A hip injury in the middle of 2023 kept Ugo Carabelli out for two months, but since returning to full health he has collected a pair of Challenger titles with two additional final appearances.
Now riding an eight-match winning streak across all levels, Ugo Carabelli is learning quickly under the tutelage of two-time tour-level titlist Berlocq.
“He's helped me a lot because he's very serious,” said Ugo Carabelli, who reached a career-high No. 96 in August 2022. “He tells me all the time, 'You need to work all day to live for tennis.' I think he changed my mind and he's helped me a lot.”
Berlocq and Ugo Carabelli at the Brasil Tennis Challenger trophy ceremony. Credit: João Pires
A difficult defeat for Ugo Carabelli came in the final round of Australian Open qualifying, where he suffered a gruelling three-hour, 18-minute loss in a Match Tie-break to Jesper de Jong, falling inches short of playing his second major tournament. Despite the loss, he remained in Melbourne for a few days in case of becoming a lucky loser and during that time, he practised with eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
“He played against the guy who beat me in qualifying and he asked me for advice. I couldn't believe it,” Ugo Carabelli said.
Apart from tennis, Ugo Carabelli enjoys video games, supporting his favourite football club San Lorenzo de Almagro and spending time with his two dachshunds, Romea and Antonia. In two weeks, he is set to begin a new semester of online business management classes at the University of Palermo in Buenos Aires.
Ugo Carabelli and his girlfriend Martina with Romea and Antonia. Credit: Camilo Ugo Carabelli
One thing fans may easily spot about Ugo Carabelli is his tattoos. Among his 20 tattoos, the five-time ATP Challenger Tour champion has inked each of his family members' names and their birthdays. On his left arm, you will find an owl, a skull, and flowers, while his rib bears a tattoo of San Lorenzo's logo.
“I really like tattoos. I got my first tattoo, my mom’s name, when I was 15,” Ugo Carabelli said. “I think I will finish my arm tattoo and then start on my leg, but not for two years I think.”
Ahead of his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Alcaraz, Ugo Carabelli’s laid back personality came alive when asked how he will prepare for Thursday’s clash against the Spaniard.
“I think [Wednesday] I will go to cut my hair for the TV,” he said, cracking a smile. “I will relax, enjoy time with my family and friends in my city.”
-Reporting contributed by Marcos Zugasti
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