INTERVIEW | Camilo Ugo Carabelli: "On the court I feel shielded, it's my battlefield"

Carlos Navarro | 11 Jun 2026 | 19.37

We chat with Camilo Ugo Carabelli at the Conde de Godó. Photo: Carlos Navarro

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Camilo Ugo Carabelli (Buenos Aires, June 17, 1999) lived a true odyssey upon arriving in Barcelona. His participation in the Conde de Godó tournament, a month and a half ago, ended in the second round at the hands of Rafa Jódar, but the bond that tied him to the city included a crazy story of lost suitcases, stolen underwear, and the help of the ball boys from the tournament. A story that defines a guy with a peculiar personality, with a marked duality in his shyness off the court and his boldness and improvisational skills on the court.

"The court is my battlefield." A quote more fitting for a Gladiator movie, a kind of motto that helps survive within the circuit. "El Brujo" is no ordinary guy: behind his rise to the top-50 lies almost a decade of effort and sacrifice in the lower tennis circuits, a path he traveled conquering up to 9 Challenger tournaments before becoming part of the ATP circuit. Enduring the early stages, he began to see the fruits of his labor in 2025 and has shown the world that his rise to the forefront is not a coincidence: he has been maintaining himself near the top-50 for two years now, even breaking through that barrier in a couple of weeks.

The image many have of Camilo on the court does not correspond to his calm demeanor off the court. At the facilities of the Real Club de Tenis de Barcelona, he is just like anyone else: he greets the ball boys with a smile, sips from his trusted mate, and radiates total self-confidence. This scene sometimes differs from his antics on the court: you never know what to expect from his matches, from crazy shots to hilarious remarks directed at his box. Gestures, shouts, swings... and plenty of quality: signs that we are in the presence of a genius who, indeed, paddled like few to reach his current position.

How does Ugo Carabelli see the current state of Argentine tennis? Why was Rafa Jódar so impressive to him?

After our meeting in Barcelona, he reached the quarterfinals in Hamburg and secured his second victory at Roland Garros before falling to Andrey Rublev in the second round. The Ciudad Condal acted as a springboard... an unexpected springboard, indeed. This conversation couldn't begin without first discussing one of the stories of that week, the one about a guy who played without his clothes in the first round... for what reason?

"I arrived at the airport, because, first of all, I wasn't going to play this week. I got off in Munich, I was about to board, but my team and I decided I wouldn't play, and that I would stay in Buenos Aires, I really enjoy spending time in Buenos Aires. I didn't get off in Barcelona because it was far from boarding. On Friday, at 11 in the morning in Buenos Aires, the time when the lists close, the tour managers called me and said: ‘Hey, you got into Barcelona. If you get off, it's a fine and you get a 0 in the rankings’. Well, I told them to wait for me, that I would try to organize myself because I had not planned to go, I had no tickets, I had nothing."

I told them to wait and that I would let them know in a while. I was able to organize myself, travel to Barcelona on Saturday. I arrived on Sunday night, but upon arrival, I realized that my suitcases hadn't arrived. I had a layover in Madrid and my suitcases didn't arrive. When I arrived here (at the club) on Sunday night, and it was also raining, cold, and I had absolutely nothing, only what I had traveled with, long pants, and a jacket that had nothing (laughs). I told the tournament staff what happened, and the tournament guys gave me a bunch of clothes from the ball boys, a coat to have something because I didn't know when my suitcases would arrive. They gave me socks, I had to go buy underwear, and for the first round, I also had to go shopping because I had to play with unbranded clothes. I managed like that, and fortunately, for the second round, I was able to play with my own clothes because my suitcase finally arrived: at least there is a happy ending."

hello
my suitcase didn't arrive
hugs
— Camilo Ugo carabelli (@camilougo) April 14, 2026

It's a tale that serves as a beautiful introduction to the life of a madman... who, up close, of course, is far from crazy. In the Godó Club Lounge, the conversation is relaxed, gradually engaging, revealing a man who, after much psychological work, now truly believes he belongs to the absolute elite. With over two years on the circuit, we are facing a more mature Carabelli, as he demonstrates in each response during this conversation with Punto de Break.

CN: Camilo, right now you are #56 in the world, including semifinals in Marrakech on this tour. How do you feel about your tennis at this moment? Last year you broke into the top 50 and reached #43 in the world; how would you characterize your current form?

UC: Honestly, I feel good. This time of year is one we really look forward to, us South Americans. I would say we almost anticipate the clay court season all year; it's where we feel we can earn the most points, where we have the most opportunities. I try to make the most of it, to play my best tennis, which is where I feel most comfortable, so the goal is to get all the points possible and enjoy it, above all.

It is already your second season playing the full ATP circuit, leaving behind the Challenger circuit. Do you feel fully accustomed to this level, to the big tournaments, to the two-week Masters 1000…?

Yes, I've been playing these big tournaments for quite some time now. Obviously, last year I played all main draws, and this year as well; it's different from playing the qualifiers, in previous years I played the qualifiers quite a bit for these tournaments. You get used to it, you adapt a bit to the level, the pace of play, the details, being more attentive to your details and getting to know yourself more. I believe that little by little, I am getting to know myself better, maturing, and improving in every way I can.

Camilo, you have been a true battler in the Challenger circuit, playing countless tournaments. Is there really much difference between, for example, the semifinals or final of a Challenger tournament compared to the first or second round of a tournament like this one, against the #50 or #60 in the world?

At the top level? No, truth be told, there isn't much difference... perhaps that difference shows in some crucial moments of the match, but during the match itself, the difference isn't strongly felt. A Challenger player can hit the ball harder than the world #20; it's about those details in important moments, how they handle frustrations, tough moments, pressure... they manage the good moments better, bringing out their best tennis, whereas maybe Challengers struggle there, feeling too much pressure... I believe the difference lies in those details.

I read at the time that you worked extensively with a psychologist, focusing a lot on the mental aspect. When, after so much struggle, one manages to reach the top 50... how long does it take to truly believe it? Do you look at yourself now and think, ‘I'm here in the top 50, I even need to be higher’?

Obviously, perhaps one, at least it happens to me, that at the beginning of last year I was saying: ‘Wow, it would be so nice to be #80 in the world’ when I was #100 and couldn't move up from there. I reached #80 and said: ‘Wow, now I would like to be #60’. You get to #60 and you want to be in the top 50… it's like you never stop filling up and fully enjoying it all. It would be really good to try to enjoy it to the fullest and appreciate it, because it takes a lot of effort to get here…

Being fully aware of where you are and of everything you did to get there.

Exactly, exactly. It would be nice to pause a bit and appreciate more the place where you are, but this is a sport where you have to compete every week, be fully focused, and perhaps it doesn't allow you to relax so much and enjoy in that sense. Yes, there are times when I'm calm and can think clearly, I value a lot the place where I am and I feel privileged.

😂 REMEMBER THIS STATEMENT BY CAMILO UGO CARABELLI?

🗣 "I don't pay much attention to doubles, I don't know if we will play either. Communication with my partner is complicated because he is Chinese, but well. The truth is, it doesn't matter to me."

HISTORIC.pic.twitter.com/Q5KPTakjUg
— Tiempo De Tenis (@Tiempodetenis1) June 3, 2026

Delving a little deeper into that mental and even emotional part. I read you saying that you consider yourself an "introverted" type. Of course, anyone who sees you on the court... I feel like Tennis TV would have a treasure trove of clips with you (laughs). That way of being, perhaps more extroverted on the court, but introverted behind closed doors... how can that be explained?

(Thinking) I don't know, honestly outside the field I consider myself a quite calm guy. It's pretty hard for me to talk, I think I only speak with people I really trust, socializing is tough for me, and so on... and inside the field it's the total opposite. Maybe everything I keep inside off the field, I let out on the field. Also, on the field, there's something that makes me feel shielded, it's like my battlefield, where I do everything I can to achieve a better level or release all my emotions. I do what comes out at the moment, which can be anything (smiles), but mostly that's why.

If that ends up getting you a sponsorship from Alfajores Havanna, we're not going to say no...

Sure, sure (laughs). It's good, no doubt about it.

"Since I left Rosario, I slept a lot. I stayed lying in my bed, just breathing, and basically did nothing. Eating a lot of Havanna alfajores."

Camilo Ugo Carabelli 🇦🇷, the best declarer on the Tour and also giving a shoutout @Havanna_arg pic.twitter.com/3NmX7N5nQD

— Lautaro Miranda Núñez (@Lautarotenn1s) February 11, 2026

Let's talk about the South American tour. There are those who don't see the switch to hard court with a bad eye (it seems that steps are inevitably leading to that change). I have my opinion on this, how do you see it?

I wouldn't like it to switch to hard courts. It's a tour that has been on clay for many years, and it would be great if it continues that way for many more years. There was talk at one point that it might move to another month, maybe later in the year, which would also be good... hopefully, I disagree if they remove these clay tournaments, I wouldn't like that.

For Roland Garros, this year, up to 10 Argentine players directly qualified, like in the times of the Legion. I'm not sure to what extent you feel proud to be part of such a group.

It's incredible. First of all, it's very difficult for us, we are far from everything, we are a country where the Association doesn't support us much, economically almost nothing, due to the country's situation, not because they don't want to, it's just hard. It's also a very expensive sport. All of us who are there did it on our own, with a lot of effort from each one, each finding their own way, healthy competition among us... that's the best we have, the grit and how we slowly found our place among the best in the world.

Within the circuit, you accumulate great experiences: you have already faced Djokovic, for example, in Miami. I would like you to define for me what the experience of playing against him is like, especially on hard court, and highlight a player whom you were impressed to play against, whose level surprised you and perhaps you didn't expect it.

With Nole, I felt like I couldn't really take him out of the draw. It was difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that he was an opponent; I focused more on enjoying the match, enjoying the show, rather than thinking about a victory and concentrating on winning the match, although it was obviously very difficult. Regarding your other question, I played against Jódar in Marrakech and I was really surprised by the speed of his ball, the attitude with which he plays. I feel he has a strong presence on the court, a winning attitude. He's a guy who at just 19 years old... that's what surprised me. Recently, Rafa is the player who impressed me the most.