Ferrero ‘puts batteries’ in Alcaraz: “It’s at 60% of its potential”

Juan Carlos Ferrero, coach of Carlos Alcaraz, assured this Sunday that his student “is at 60% of his potential” and he still has a lot of room for improvement, after the Murcian was crowned champion of the United States Open at the age of 19.

He did so in the press conference after the final win against Norwegian Casper Ruud, which gave him the first ‘big’ of his career and made him the youngest number one in the world.

“I think he is at 60% of his game, he has a lot to improve, we know he has to continue. Now that he is number one he has to keep winning, we know that and I will remind him of that,” said Ferrero.

“He must improve the rest, the serve must improve, the backhand in some situations, consistent, trying not to leave the mind. These are details that until one does not retire all the players we need to improve”, he added, explaining what he must improve.

The former player and now coach of Alcaraz expressed his pride in the work done and considered that his student was born to play in these tournaments.

“Carlos was born to play these tournaments, to play these games. From the first moment I saw different things in him than other boys his age and I still see them today“, he claimed.

He also said that it was clear to him that, seeing him train every day, a victory in a major was a matter of time: “I am sure that if not this year, it will be the second. Now we want to continue“.

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Ferrero also told some anecdotes about the first time he saw Alcaraz.

“When he came to the academy he was a noodle, he was fast, but he had no muscles, but we saw something very special.“, he assured.

“I saw it for the first time when I was twelve or thirteen years old. He came to the academy and we trained one day, he was very small but you could see that everyone was talking about him.. He had everything he has now, but in a small way.”

The preparer took that into account as well Alcaraz and Italian Jannik Sinner manage to “dominate the ‘tour’ for the next ten years.”

Asked if he sees the Murcian capable of achieving what Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic have achieved, Ferrero insisted it would be difficult.

“It will be difficult for them to achieve what they have done in tennis. We are talking about 22 grand, it is far, but who knows. He has all the potential to be one of the best. What he should do is try,” he said.