"It was a different goal I had with Alexander Zverev" - Juan Carlos Ferrero opens up about the difference between coaching Carlos Alcaraz & the German
Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero found himself in a unique position in the 2024 French Open final as his 21-year-old protege took on his former pupil, Alexander Zverev. Following Alcaraz's win, Ferrero shed light on the difference between coaching both players.
Alcaraz dashed Zverev's hopes of winning his maiden Grand Slam title, edging past the German to claim a hard-fought 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 victory. The Spaniard not only clinched his third Major title but also made history as the first male player to win his first three Grand Slam crowns on three different surfaces.
Following his triumph, Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has been with him for all three of his Major triumphs, was reminded of his early predictions for the World No. 2.
Ferrero began his coaching career by working with Zverev in July 2017, but their partnership ended just eight months later on a sour note due to the German's "lack of respect" for his team. Subsequently, in 2019, the former World No. 1 decided to take a 16-year-old Alcaraz under his wing at the outset of his professional career.
Speaking to Eurosport after Carlos Alcaraz's triumph, Alex Corretja reminded Juan Carlos Ferrero about his early enthusiasm about the then-16-year-old's potential to win Grand Slam titles and become World No. 1, predictions that have since come true.
"You told me, 'I'm going to be working with one kid, Carlos Alcaraz. His potential is amazing. I think he can be No. 1, he can win Majors,'" Corretja said (at 2:20).
Reflecting on their "amazing" journey together, Ferrero revealed that coaching Alcaraz from the start of his career was a unique experience with different goals compared to his time working with Alexander Zverev.
"Yeah, it's amazing all the journey we've been through. It was a different goal that I maybe had with Sascha that I work a long time ago. With Carlos it was different because we started since the real beginning and I had the opportunity to create something from inside and as I told you he had the potential and he's showing it," Ferrero said.
Juan Carlos Ferrero on coaching Carlos Alcaraz: "The opposite of what I lived with Alexander Zverev, it wasn’t anymore a life of private jets and high standard hotels"
Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero has shed light on the difference between coaching the World No. 2 and Alexander Zverev previously as well.
In an interview with Tennis Majors last year, Ferrero disclosed that opting to coach Alcaraz was a "big decision" because he knew that it would be a stark contrast to the opulence of private jets and high-end hotels he experienced with Zverev.
"It was a big decision to take. It was the opposite of what I lived with Zverev in the past. It wasn’t anymore a life of private jets and high standard hotels," he said.
Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, has consistently spoken highly of Juan Carlos Ferrero's invaluable role in his career. Following his triumph at the French Open, the Spaniard expressed his gratitude towards Ferrero and his team for their unwavering support, referring to them as his "family."