"I think now Carlos Alcaraz's level is still at 60% of his maximum" - Juan Carlos Ferrero
Carlos Alcaraz is currently at just "60% of his maximum level", according to his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. The 2003 Roland Garros champion also admitted there was "practically everything to do" when he started working with the rising star.
Former World No. 1 Ferrero started coaching his fellow Spaniard in 2018. The 42-year-old, who turned professional in 1998, won 16 ATP titles before retiring in 2012. Prior to coaching the 18-year-old, Ferrero also worked with World No. 3 Alexander Zverev between July 2017 and February 2018.
18yo Carlos Alcaraz defeats world #8 Casper Ruud 7-5 6-4 to become the youngest men’s champion @ Miami Open.
His coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who lost his dad ahead of the tournament & surprised Alcaraz by turning up for the final, is in tears as they celebrate a milestone win https://t.co/inXZMIK1l6
Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-4 in the final of the 2022 Miami Open earlier this month to claim his maiden Masters 1000 crown. He became the third youngest ATP Masters 1000 champion after Michael Chang and his idol Rafael Nadal.
In an interview with Teledeporte, as quoted by Punto de Break, Ferrero explained why he wanted to become a part of the Murcian's team.
"It was something different from what I was used to, it is not the same to train an Alexander Zverev who was already number three in the world," Ferrero said. "I think that with Carlos there was practically everything to do, he was a very young boy with a lot of potential but very messy and I think we have improved in that aspect. I think now Carlos's level is still at 60% of his maximum level."
The Spaniard also spoke about the comparisons drawn between Alcaraz and tennis greats, such as Nadal. He emphasized on Alacarz's prerogative being himself and going about his journey as a tennis player "his own way".
"I believe that Carlos is Carlos and it is to be appreciated that everyone sees so many good things in him, but he has to go his own way," Ferrero continued. "It is true that he has to look at the best players in history, try to get a little out of each one and try to be the best he can be. People see a lot of comparisons, they see a lot of good things in it, it's appreciated, but we try to focus as much as possible on the things that it has to improve and that's where we are."
"Carlos Alcaraz comes from Miami and everyone thinks he's going to have a good tournament" - Juan Carlos Ferrero
Juan Carlos Ferrero also discussed Carlos Alcaraz's defeat to Sebastian Korda in his opening match at the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters last week.
"He managed it correctly and without any kind of drama knowing that the other player is also very good and the idea of losing is always there," Ferrero said. "He comes from Miami and everyone thinks he's going to have a good tournament for the simple fact of playing well on hard courts."
The World No. 11 will face Kwon Soon-woo in the second round of the Barcelona Open ATP 500 event on Wednesday after receiving a first-round bye.
These are the projected Quarterfinals of Barcelona Open 🔥
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Carlos Alcaraz could be a big match 💪
Which match are you looking forward to?
#BarcelonaOpen #StefanosTsitsipas #CarlosAlcaraz #CaperRuud #CameronNorrie #FelixAugerAliassime #DiegoSchwartzman https://t.co/UAgso40tbp