The coach of Carlos Alcaraz has hailed his improvement in recent years, but is refusing to name him a favourite for the US Open title.
Juan Carlos Ferrero is the long-time mentor of the world No.2 and has overseen his rise on the Tour. Alcaraz is currently on an 11-match winning streak heading into his semi-final clash with Novak Djokovic on Friday. At the age of 22, he has already won 22 ATP titles, with five of those being at Grand Slam events.
It was at the US Open three years ago when the Spaniard won his first major title, defeating Casper Ruud in the final. He then reached the semifinals in 2023 before suffering a shock second-round exit last year.
“He’s improved in every way. Mentally, he’s much more clear about the decisions he needs to make in key moments. He’s also better with his serve, his forehand on the run… ” Ferrero said of Alcaraz’s improvement since 2022.
“He’s always been very good tennis-wise, but now I see him as better than ever mentally, with a concentration and solidity that make the difference.”
Looking ahead to Alcaraz’s clash with Djokovic, Ferrero believes the key to victory will be wearing out the 38-year-old Serbian on court. Djokovic has dropped a set in three out of five matches played so far in the tournament and has been hampered by some minor physical issues with his back, neck and forearm.
Nevertheless, Alcaraz has only beaten the 24-time Grand Slam winner once in their past five meetings since the 2023 Cincinnati Masters. That sole victory was achieved on the grass at Wimbledon.
“We don’t have to obsess over Novak. Carlos has to focus on himself and try to push Djokovic to the limit until the match becomes physically difficult for him due to Carlos’s pace,” Ferrero commented.
Whoever wins the clash will then take on either top seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner or Felix-Auger Aliassime, who is the only player remaining in the draw yet to win a major title. Given the current state of play, Ferrero is eager not to put too much pressure on Alcaraz.
“Favoritism is out of the question. Carlos is playing spectacularly, with a lot of confidence, but I don’t dare say he’s the favorite.” He concluded.
Alcaraz’s showdown with Djokovic is scheduled to get underway on Friday at 20:00 BST.
