Disclaimer: The following is for informational and entertainment purposes only. This is not financial advice nor an endorsement of any particular collectible.

Tennis cards have nowhere near the popularity of many other sports cards. However, the global appeal of the game means there is still a market, especially for players with talent that transcends the game, such as Carlos Alcaraz. In 2022, after nearly two decades away from the hobby, NetPro released the first officially licensed rookie card of Alcaraz.

The Backstory: How the Card Came to Be

NetPro, a name synonymous with tennis cards thanks to its iconic 2003 releases featuring legends like Roger Federer and Serena Williams, returned in 2022 with an exclusive Carlos Alcaraz collection. The timing couldn’t have been better—Alcaraz had just won his first Grand Slam at the US Open and became the youngest ATP No. 1 player in history.

NetPro’s founder, Kris Vigue, was inspired to relaunch the brand after witnessing Alcaraz’s rise during the 2021 US Open. By February 2022, Vigue had signed an agreement with Alcaraz’s management team to produce a series of rookie cards. The collection was designed to celebrate Alcaraz’s limitless potential, using images from his European clay-court swing and even incorporating match-worn apparel into some cards.

How You Could Buy It

The 2022 NetPro Carlos Alcaraz cards were sold exclusively online through NetPro’s website. The collection included nine variations, ranging from base rookie cards to autographed match-worn apparel cards. Prices varied significantly:

• Base Rookie Cards: $42 each (limited to 2,000 copies)
• Premium Autograph Cards: $250-$3,600 (serial numbered to 50, 100, or 250 copies)

Demand for these cards was overwhelming. NetPro’s website crashed within 15 minutes of launch due to high traffic, and cards sold out within hours. The most expensive card—the retro autographed jersey card limited to just 50 copies—was the first to sell out.

Card Variations

The 2022 NetPro release included a total of 11 different variations:

• Base Rookie Card (Red Shirt and Green Shirt): Numbered to 2000
• Retro 2003 Rookie Card (Victory and Action): Numbered to 500
• Rainbow Autograph: One numbered to 250 and one numbered to 100
• Limitless Collection Jersey Autograph: 3 different versions numbered to 100 (each featuring a shirt he wore during the 2022 French Open)
• International Series Dual Jersey Rookie Card: 2 different versions each numbered to 50

Why This Card Matters

Carlos Alcaraz, along with Jannik Sinner, is widely regarded as tennis’s next global superstar—a player capable of carrying the sport into its post-Federer/Nadal/Djokovic era. While Sinner may have surpassed Alcaraz in terms of on-court production, he has had to deal with his steroid case, and his game is not as flashy and captivating as Alcaraz’s combination of movement, power, and penchant for drop shots. As these two continue to battle for tennis supremacy in the coming years, I would expect Alcaraz to remain a slight fan favorite in many cases if their on-court success is equal.

Conclusion

The 2022 NetPro Premium Auto Rookie Card of Carlos Alcaraz is more than just a collectible—it’s a celebration of one of tennis’s brightest stars. If tennis cards ever begin to take off in a serious way, the NetPro Auto has many elements that collectors value highly:

• Scarcity (compared to other modern sports cards, the total number produced was very limited)
• Rookie card
• On-Card Auto
• Officially licensed