Italian Tennis Great Doesn’t Think Carlos Alcaraz Improved Much After Juan Carlos Ferrero Split, Questions His ‘$9 million Yacht’ Decision

There were a lot of discussions about how Carlos Alcaraz would perform after his split with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. But following his back-to-back victories at the Australian Open and the Qatar Open, the 22-year-old showed that no matter with whom he is working, he will continue to remain a dominant figure on the ATP Tour.

But after the Doha victory, the Spaniard lost three tournaments. After his Indian Wells semifinal exit and his shock defeat in the third round of the Miami Open, Alcaraz failed to defend his Monte-Carlo Masters title, losing in straight sets to arch-rival Jannik Sinner.

Italian tennis great Adriano Panatta, in an interview with Tuttosport, discussed whether Alcaraz did the right thing by parting ways with Ferrero after his recent performances.

I just say that Alcaraz doesn’t seem to me to be playing a different kind of tennis from last year, so to speak, I don’t see him as improved or worsened. He played well up to Doha, actually. There he played brilliantly, and also at the Australian Open. But I wouldn’t know how to say whether the success that gave him the Career Grand Slam shouldn’t be attributed to the preparation done with Ferrero.

After his defeat in Miami, Alcaraz, who reportedly has a net worth of over $50 million, signed a contract with Sunreef Yachts for the construction of a customized Sunreef ULTIMA 88 catamaran to escape his demanding schedule. The yacht reportedly will cost him between $9-$10 million.

And finally, was it really useful at 22 years old to buy a $9 million yacht? At that age, a young tennis player that strong should think only about one thing… How to become stronger.

Adriano Panatta added

Alcaraz has started his Barcelona Open title defense. He knocked out qualifier Otto Virtanen to schedule his round of 16 clash with Tomas Machac. The seven-time Grand Slam champion will reach the top of the rankings table if he wins the home tournament.

Carlos Alcaraz is impressed with Rafa Jodar’s performance

A new name from Spanish tennis has been impressing the tennis community, including Carlos Alcaraz. The player is a 19-year-old Rafa Jodar, who recently won the ATP 250 title in Marrakech by defeating Marco Trungelliti 6–3, 6–2.

Toni Nadal lauded the youngster on Onda Cero airwaves, saying that Jodar hits the ball harder than Alcaraz and has the ability to beat any opponent. Alcaraz was asked about his fellow Spanish ATP ace during the press conference after his opening-round win in Barcelona.

For me, Rafa is a great player, to be honest. I have been following him, and I think he entered the circuit very quickly. I already saw what he was capable of when he was a sparring partner for the Davis Cup. Then, in Australia this year, I could play a training set with him, so I could see more of the level he had. From Australia until now, what he has achieved has been impressive.

Carlos Alcaraz said

Jodar dismantled Jaume Munar in his campaign opener in Barcelona to schedule his next match against Camilo Ugo Carabelli. Alcaraz will only meet Jodar if they both reach the final.

The 22-year-old is chasing his third title of the season in the Spanish city. After Barcelona, Alcaraz will have 3,000 points to defend in Rome and Paris, where last year, he defeated Jannik Sinner in the finals. He skipped the Madrid Open last year due to injury, and because Sinner also has no points to defend in Madrid, the tournament will be important for both in terms of the rankings.

Also read: Arthur Fils Discusses Experience of Working With Goran Ivanisevic so far: “He has Tons of Advice”

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