Carlos Alcaraz’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero has revealed his admiration for rival Novak Djokovic following the titanic duels between the pair during 2023. The current best ranked men’s players in the world faced off at both Wimbledon and the French Open this year en route to respective Grand Slam wins.
The world-famous challengers have enjoyed the duopoly in the four majors so far this year, with Djokovic winning the Australian Open, Roland Garros and US Open and Alacaraz winning Wimbledon. At either ends of their careers, the contests between the record-setting all-time great and the youthful vigour of the emerging superstar have captured the imaginations of fans around the globe.
Now, Alcaraz’s right-hand man Ferrero has provided an insight into the respect that the Spaniard’s camp have for the current world number one. In an interview with the Spanish sports radio show ‘El Larguero’, he waxed lyrical about the Serbian legend’s ability to combine his gifted technical ability with an air of coolness on court.
“I’m running out of praise,” he admitted.”I drool watching him when he plays, how he touches the ball, how he moves. When he’s mentally fine, and he doesn’t get distracted by certain things, it’s outrageous.”
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“How he handles the times and how he handles the hot moments of the game is unique. It has an impressive quality, while putting pressure on you absolutely at all points.”
He continued: “There is not once that you see him miss two balls in a row throughout the game, not once and, in that aspect, he achieves almost excellence. That tells you how good he wants to be and how good he is.”
Ferrero, who formerly reigned as the top ranked player in the world after winning the French Open in 2003, is now eager to impress upon his client the importance of learning from Djokovic. He added: “We have to follow that trail. Beyond the numbers, for me it’s the best, but it’s complicated.
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“Without a doubt. You may like Roger Federer more for his way of playing or Rafael Nadal for his dedication and everything that each one has achieved. His merits are undeniable, but for me Novak is the best in history.”
The Spanish prodigy last faced his rival in the Nitto ATP Finals in Italy, with Djokovic coming out on top in that encounter. He beat Alcaraz in two straight-sets in the indoor tournament but his coach Ferrero is eager for the 20-year-old to use the loss as a learning experience.
Over the course of 2023, the two-time Grand Slam victor beat the Serbian master on two ocassions, as his 36-year-old counterpart inflicted defeat three times. One of Alcaraz’s two victories over Djokovic this year came in the Wimbledon final but he has since lost twice to the 24-time majors holder.
Ferrero is now keen for the starlet to look up to the man he defeated in SW19 in July to help him to improve his performances on indoor surfaces. He admitted: “Having the level of it on this surface, I think it requires time and many hours on this type of tracks. Obviously, it’s not an excuse, but I think that the fast track hasn’t benefited us.
“I suppose that in that aspect you have to spend more hours, train more in this type of situation, and I think that the mental level has made the tennis level not there. He has had two mistakes again, for which the game is going away.
“I think that in that aspect you have to be more constant. He knows that he has to improve for the future, especially to play with the best.”
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