Carlos Alcaraz makes ‘it doesn’t matter’ admission on coach Juan Carlos Ferrero’s absence after securing hard-fought win at Rotterdam Open
World No.3 Carlos Alcaraz is bidding to win his first indoor hard-court title after making his debut at the Rotterdam Open.
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Carlos Alcaraz, Juan Carlos Ferrero (Images via ATP/X)
Carlos Alcaraz suffered from nerves when he played his maiden first-round match at the Rotterdam Open on Tuesday (February 4). En route to his 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-1 victory over wild card Botic Van de Zandschulp, the top seed made 40 unforced errors in the first two sets.
When asked later whether coach Juan Carlos Ferrero‘s absence affected his performance, Alcaraz admitted that having coach Samuel Lopez in the box didn’t make any difference. The tennis ace hired Lopez last December.
Well, it doesn’t matter, honestly. I love being with Juan Carlos, but I just hired a really good coach like Samuel, who I trust 100%. Right now, when I was at home, I was practicing with him, so he knows me pretty well. It’s a trust, and it doesn’t make any difference.
Carlos Alcaraz said at the press conference
Ferrero, the former World No.1, who won the 2003 French Open and was the finalist at the US Open of the same year, had Lopez in his coaching team during his playing days. The 44-year-old has been in Alcaraz’s entourage since 2019.
Under Ferrero, the Murcia-born reached the No.1 spot in the ATP rankings and also claimed four Grand Slam titles, including two Wimbledon. Last year during the French Open, when John McEnroe questioned Ferrero’s constant communication with Alcaraz during matches, the youngster stated that he needed Ferrero in the box because everything the coach tells him was really helpful.
Carlos Alcaraz addresses constant ball and condition changes on the ATP Tour
The different ball and conditions on the ATP Tour resulted in players’ injuries and Carlos Alcaraz too is hoping that the ATP would do something about it. Alcaraz, however, admitted that so far, they have not yet posed a problem for him.
Every week, practically every week, we have different ball, different conditions, so it’s complicated to adapt to them.
Carlos Alcaraz said at the press conference
Training to adapt to the frequent changes was not too easy for Alcaraz as he confessed that at first, the new balls make everything move very fast but afterward, they make it difficult for him to play aggressively. Although Alcaraz didn’t want to complain about it, several players, including Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz last year, blamed these constant changes for contributing to players’ injuries.
Alcaraz, at the Rotterdam Open, after fending off Botic Van de Zandschulp, will face Andrea Vavassori or Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round. The four-time Grand Slam champion leads in the head-to-head record against both these players.
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Gouri Das
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