"He is tough; very serious" - Carlos Alcaraz sheds light on relationship with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero; says he'd have gone "crazy" if not for him
Carlos Alcaraz recently opened up about his relationship with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. The Spaniard revealed how the fellow former World No. 1’s professionalism has rubbed off on him.
Ferrero, a former Grand Slam champion, began coaching Alcaraz in 2019, when he was just a 15-year-old budding junior. The duo finalized their association just months after Ferrero terminated his partnership with Alexander Zverev.
Since then, Carlos Alcaraz has won a staggering 15 titles under the aegis of Juan Carlos Ferrero. These trophies include four Grand Slams: the US Open (2022), the French Open (2024), and the Wimbledon Championships (2023 and 2024). He has also added five Masters 1000 titles to his cabinet.
With Ferrero, the Spaniard also became the youngest World No. 1 in ATP history after his success in New York. Last month, he became the youngest man to complete the Surface Slam.
Speaking about Juan Carlos Ferrero's approach to coaching, Alcaraz told Relevo:
"He is tough. He is a very serious person when he has to be, when it comes to work and discipline, he is very hard on you."
The Spaniard, however, revealed that Ferrero also has a playful side to him.
"But he is also very, very funny when he has to be. He knows how to differentiate the moments very well."
Carlos Alcaraz attributed his success to the former World No. 1, restating his role in shaping his work ethic. The 21-year-old said he would have gone “crazy” if Ferrero hadn’t instilled discipline in him.
"Yes, he is very strict with everything, with the issue on the court, with the issue of professionalism, with the issue of the things that I have to improve off the court, like the phone, punctuality, rest, etc," he said.
"But I think that is why I am here today, that is why I have grown very quickly, because if he were not so strict I might have gone crazy."
Carlos Alcaraz on coach Juan Carlos Ferrero: "He is a very important person for me"
In the aforementioned interview, Carlos Alcaraz emphasized that his relationship with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero goes beyond tennis, as he considers the veteran “his family.”
Ferrero, too, has often likened the youngster to one of his own children.
"The truth is that he is a very important person for me, as I have said many times, I already consider him family, I trust him 100%, I can talk to him about everything both professionally and personally, he is a great fundamental support in my life. He has made me grow a lot as a player and as a person," Alcaraz said.
The four-time Grand Slam champion also conveyed his desire to work with the fellow Spaniard throughout his career.
"Well, a person's career is very long, anything can happen at a tennis level and at a personal level, both for me and for Juan Carlos,” he said, adding. “We don't know, but I personally think and hope that I will spend my entire career with Juan Carlos."