John McEnroe rebukes Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero for incessant "talking" in French Open 3R, compares him to Stefanos Tsitsipas' father
John McEnroe has criticized Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero for his constant commentary and guidance to the World No. 3 during the Spaniard's third-round clash at the 2024 French Open. Alcaraz battled it out against Sebastian Korda for a place in the fourth round of the claycourt Major.
Alcaraz delivered a stellar performance against Korda to claim a 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-3 victory in two hours and 39 minutes. With his triumph, Alcaraz booked his place in the second week of a Major for the eighth consecutive time, exemplifying his impressive consistency on the big stage.
However, the World No. 3's remarkable performance was somewhat marred by the criticism directed at his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, for his incessant chatter during the match. A fan shared a clip of Ferrero passionately advising the 21-year-old on the tactics to employ against the American, calling out the former World No. 1.
John McEnroe expressed a similar sentiment while providing commentary for the clash, rebuking Ferrero for his excessive communication with Carlos Alcaraz. The seven-time Grand Slam champion asserted that, apart from Stefanos Tsitsipas' father Apostolos, he had never witnessed such frequent chatter between a coach and a player.
"Never heard a coach I don't think, maybe Tsitsipas' old man but there's a lot of talking going on," McEnroe said.
Although on-court coaching has been permitted since July 2022, Juan Carlos Ferrero has frequently copped criticism for his perceived disruptive coaching in matches. The issue recently drew attention during the 2024 Madrid Open, as fans questioned Carlos Alcaraz's ability to succeed without Ferrero's guidance.
Similarly, Stefanos Tsitsipas' father Apostolos has also come under fire for constantly instructing the Greek. Tennis journalist Steve Flink even suggested that Apostolos' coaching during matches was detrimental to his son's game.
"Carlos Alcaraz will win Roland Garros at least once, he has the game to achieve it" - Juan Carlos Ferrero
In the lead-up to the 2024 French Open, Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero acknowledged hardcourts as the World No. 3's best surface. However, he emphasized that the 21-year-old possessed the skills to triumph at Roland Garros at least once in his career.
"Right now I think that the surface that best suits his tennis is the hard court. Carlos has developed on this type of court, although we cannot believe that clay courts were where he was born. I think he will win Roland Garros at least once, he has the game to achieve it," Ferrero said (via Punto de Break).
Ferrero also lavished praise on the two-time Grand Slam champion's "think big" mentality, asserting that this mindset was essential to becoming one of the greatest players of all time.
"What I like most is that he always thinks big, not just small. To be one of the best players of all time you have to think big, there is no other option. We know that it will be very difficult to beat certain records, but we are here to try, to try to do the best we can," he added.
Carlos Alcaraz will continue his quest for his maiden Roland Garros title against the winner of the match between Ben Shelton and Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round.