David Ferrer Shares Interesting Anecdote About Playing 14-Year-Old Carlos Alcaraz: “I Was Left Speechless”

Carlos Alcaraz completed the Career Grand Slam after defeating Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final.

David Ferrer Shares Interesting Anecdote About Playing 14-Year-Old Carlos Alcaraz: “I Was Left Speechless”

David Ferrer, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/@nadalprop_, Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

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Carlos Alcaraz etched his name in the record books on February 1 after overcoming a one-set deficit to beat Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final. The win made him the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam.

En route to his career’s first Australian Open win, Alcaraz contested in an epic semifinal against last year’s runner-up, Alexander Zverev, with the match lasting for five hours and 27 minutes, also the longest semifinal in the history of the Melbourne Slam.

In last year’s Roland Garros final, the seven-time Grand Slam champion came from two sets down and saved three match points to defend his title by downing Jannik Sinner after five hours and 29 minutes in what was also the longest final in the history of the tournament.

Ben Shelton, in an interview, called Alcaraz a “dog” because of his athletic abilities. The talented youngster greatly impressed former player David Ferrer, who, during his interview with SER Deportivos Valen, revealed the tie-break he played against the World No.1 when he was just 14 years old.

It was former coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who introduced Alcaraz to Ferrer. The Davis Cup captain thinks Alcaraz let him win the tie-break with scores of 10-8 out of respect.

I was very demanding with my training sessions, and I said, don’t waste my time – he’s 14 years old, and I want proper practice, I’m in preseason. Ferrero: No, trust me. I was left…I was left speechless. I remember pushing him. Of course, when you’re warming up, and you start hitting the ball hard. Normally, a young player can’t handle that from a pro. Carlos returns the first one, the second one too, and on the third, he accelerates it. And you think…what is this? It just blows your mind. He was like Rafa [Nadal] as a kid.

David Ferrer said

Alcaraz broke Nadal’s record after winning the first Major of the season. The 22-year-old completed the Career Grand Slam at the age of 24, while Alcaraz achieved this at the age of 22.

Andy Roddick is in awe of Carlos Alcaraz after his Australian Open win

Carlos Alcaraz is the winner of seven Grand Slam singles titles. He broke the tie with Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker and is now tied with John McEnroe and Mats Wilander. If he wins one more, he will join Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi, and Ivan Lendl with eight Majors.

Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic (2)
Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

Andy Roddick, the winner of the 2003 US Open, finds it “absurd” that Alcaraz is surpassing these legends of the game one after the other. Roddick said on his Served podcast:

He has now equalled at 22 years old. Someone who never gets talked about enough is Mats Wilander, who has now tied at seven. These are monsters! He caught them at 22 years old. Now he goes into the French Open, having won it the last two years, and he is looking at Jimmy Connors, who played until he was 40, Andre Agassi, and Lendl. I never want it to be really casual what the accomplishments of these people are, even if it seems like we are spoiled for choice. I never want to get to that place.

But the ultimate goal for Alcaraz is to achieve what the Big 3 – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic– have done. They have combined to win a total of 66 Majors, with Djokovic, the last member of this legendary trio, still chasing another Grand Slam title. After Alcaraz’s win in the Australian Open final, he improved his head-to-head record over the Serb to 5-5.

Also read: Former British No.1 Says Aryna Sabalenka Will Develop Mental Scars from her Grand Slam Final Defeats