Carlos Alcaraz enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2022 when he won his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open but his mentor believes now he is even better as a player.
Juan Carlos Ferrero has overseen Alcaraz’s meteoric rise in the sport over the past few months. The 20-year-old has already won 10 ATP titles and reached the top of the ATP rankings. He is also the youngest player to have ever beaten both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the same tournament. As for this season, he enters into the French Open with a win-loss record of 30-3 but recently suffered a shock defeat to Fabian Marozsan at the Italian Masters.
Despite the setback in Rome, Ferrero is confident that his compatriot is on the right track to become even better in the sport. Alcaraz is the top seed at Roland Garros this year.
“As a person, I would say he’s more mature,” Ferrero told reporters in Paris on Sunday. “When you are on a team with people that are older, I think you grow up a little bit faster than maybe with other people that are the same age as you.’
“I think he grows up super fast on the court. He can read the matches a little bit better. Even before the match, like talking about the match, you can see that he’s more mature in all kinds of areas on the court.’
“So I would say he’s better than last year. The experience that he’s won US Open and lived the experience on the court that he did I think makes him grow faster than maybe other people, so definitely he’s a better player.”
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Ferrero’s biggest achievement as a player. At the 2003 French Open, he beat Fernando Gonzalez, the then reigning champion Albert Costa and Martin Verkerk en route to his first and only major title.
It is experiences such as these that the 43-year-old believes enhance his credentials as a coach on the Tour.
“I think playing the tour, knowing the players, knowing the experience that maybe he’s gonna have, it’s gonna help a lot to advise him with what’s gonna happen, how you’re gonna feel it at that moment or how you’re gonna play.” He explained.
“It definitely helps a lot, coaching like this.”
Alcaraz is among the favourites for French Open glory this year. It is only the third time he is playing in the main draw of the tournament with his best result being a run to the quarter-finals 12 months ago. Prior to his first round match this year, he has won six out of eight matches played in Paris.
“Anybody can lose in the first round, you don’t have a clue. But I think we play a very good clay season at the moment and this is the last one, so we are gonna try to give our best to make the best tournament possible,” Ferrero said of Alcaraz’s chances.
Alcaraz will play Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in his opening match on Monday.
