Carlos Alcaraz ‘has to learn the tennis world is January to November’, says coach Juan Carlos Ferrero

Carlos Alcaraz “has to learn the tennis world is from January to November”, says coach Juan Carlos Ferrero as he analysed his disciple’s campaign in 2023.

The Spaniard is still only 20, but such are the raised expectations around him that some have tried to dig into the reasons behind his comparative dip in form.

“All the players arrive with excess miles at the end of the year, there are many weeks in which tournaments are played,” he said.

“And the best take on more matches, more pressure, almost the obligation of having to win in almost every tournament. That excess luggage can weigh more some weeks, and it’s having a bit of an effect on Carlos.

“I think that professionally he has to start learning that the world of tennis is from January to November.

“He has to take his breaks, but this is a wheel which continues, and it is a job and that’s where you have to be at.”

Elaborating on where he thinks Alcaraz can improve his game, Ferrero cited a number of aspects.

He said: “Be more consistent in matches, don’t open doors. Sometimes there are mistakes and it is something that we have to improve a lot. Although it is true that he opens doors, he always competes well and at the highest level.

“He knows this, the other day he already said that Novak doesn’t give you any [mistakes]. He has to improve his decision-making and he will achieve that with experience.

“Carlos is very emotional and sometimes that helps him and other times not so much.”

Alcaraz had been engaged in a battle for the year-end No. 1 with Novak Djokovic, but the Serbian won his first match at the ATP Finals, thereby taking that particular crown.

That title – added to the three other Grand Slams aside from Wimbledon – made it another remarkable year for Djokovic, and Ferrero shared his view on how the 36-year-old keeps his position at the top of the game despite his advancing years.

“I’m not surprised,” Ferrero said. “He is a player who lives to play tennis and achieve results at the highest level. Everything he does is to be physically perfect: from food, to rest… To be very good at something you have to excel a lot in certain things.

“Those who really want to become very, very good have to do that one thing only. It is very difficult, today, to want to have a life parallel to training and professionalism, and to dedicate enough to tennis.

“It has to be the other way around. Djokovic is the best at that.”

Chiming into the GOAT debate, Ferrero added: “With Djokovic’s numbers there is no debate. You may like Rafa [Nadal] more, you may like [Roger] Federer’s style more, but in terms of numbers the best in history is Novak.”

On the subject of Nadal – who has revealed he is on the comeback trail to tennis after nearly a year out – Ferrero says he “wouldn’t be surprised to see him at the highest level again”.

“He will surely return wanting to compete because he has a competitive animal inside him,” Ferrero said.

“I see it as logical that he does not see himself competing with Djokovic or against the best right now because he has been out of competition for a long time and it is always difficult to get started again.

“But once he is on the court, his mentality of competing to his maximum will not change.

“Those who are very, very good always come up with something different from the others and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him at the highest level again.”

On the prospect of a Nadal-Alcaraz meeting at next year’s Roland-Garros, Ferrero added: “I would like it, I wouldn’t like him [Nadal] to get there and not win matches.

“Rafa deserves a chance to play well again for everything he has been. It would be exciting to see it.”

Having reached the ATP Finals semis by beating Medvedev, Alcaraz will now face Djokovic in a mouthwatering last-four clash.

Jannik Sinner takes on Medvedev in the other semi-final in Turin.