Juan Carlos Ferrero went through the microphones of El Larguero de la Cadena SER to analyze the latest success of his pupil Carlos Alcaraz, who this Sunday became the youngest tennis player in history to win an ATP 500 tournament at the age of 18, a milestone that has made him take the leap for the first time in his career to the Top-20 of the ATP ranking.
Ferrero emphasized the aggressive game of Alcaraz, which also highlighted his voracity on the track. “As I half-jokingly tell him, when he smells blood, he’s like a shark. When he has opportunities in front of him, he doesn’t hesitate too much. It is better that you try to win them with your game and showing your potential than that they escape you. His way of playing helps to try to dominate all the time, to go for the games. It is true that sometimes it causes some failures, but it gives him more joy than sadness.”
The Valencian coach also gave importance to the physical work they have done with Alcaraz so that he can display his best version. “The physical work with Alcaraz has been going on for a long time. He needed a little transformation on a physical level seeing the tennis level he had. A year and a half or two ago he suffered a lot when he played against other players that demanded a lot from him and took him to the limit and in the third set he began to suffer. We did not think that he would get very big muscularly. I’ve told the physical trainer that he’s fine now (laughs). He is a powerful player, who needs to have a good physique to move his legs well and in the academy they have done a very good job with him and the transformation we were looking for has been fulfilled. Now we have to try to keep him well, fresh, motivated and, from there, try to unleash the potential he has.”
Ferrero also highlighted the change in Alcaraz’s mental aspect and how order off the track has helped him on it. “We have worked on the off-piste order. It was a bit messy and we tried to make that order off the track also help it on the track. He played very well but what one is off the court is very difficult not to show on the court. He has been playing as he was off the track and that has been improving a lot. He has realized that he was doing much better, he has professionalized himself off the track and it has helped him. But I lost the phone fight a long time ago.”
The former Roland Garros champion highlighted Alcaraz’s humility despite the achievements he has achieved so young. “DAt the moment we have not had to download Alcaraz from the cloud because it is shown as it is. At no time, and despite having won titles or shined in big tournaments at that age when other kids have not, he has not shown any change. It is important that he keeps his feet on the ground, the work of his environment, ours… Between all of us we have the experience so that Carlos is on the right track”
Ferrero also acknowledges that he does not put any pressure on Alcaraz about how the year will end and hopes that he enjoys this exciting year. “We talk and we set ourselves goals. We haven’t talked about a particular number, or something like that, but he is very eager and is playing very well on fast and clay courts, as we have seen. He has big goals like Roland Garros, who really wants him, and the number will be a consequence of the level at which he is playing. I think he’s going to win a lot of games, but we have to keep training and working to stay up and go up. Until where? We will see, but if it continues at this level it will continue to rise. He will always think big, now he will have to play very well in the Masters 1,000 and he will have a very exciting year ahead of him”.
Ferrero admitted a piece of advice that he gives to the young Murcian tennis player: “Alcaraz does drop shots very well, it’s a naturalized weapon. Of course, I’ve asked him not to abuse them.”
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