What Alcaraz thinks of the Ferrero title: “What’s wrong, didn’t you get the ball?”

Juan Carlos Ferrero He knows what it’s like to win Roland Garros. But what’s it like not winning when everyone thinks you’re the favorite. The Spaniard, celebrating the twentieth anniversary of his victory in Paris, is now the guide of Carlos Alcarazfor many the great favorite of the edition.

As if it were a team slogan, ferrero he encouraged the same ambition as his pupil, to lift the Musketeers Cup on January 11, which he raised to the sky in the French capital on June 8, 2003.

“He was the best who played on clay,” said the coach now, resigned to the fact that the memory of his title, the only great one that appears in his showcases, is somewhat overshadowed by the figure of Alcaraz.

ferrero remembers the nerves of that day, when he was under great pressure after losing two semifinals and one final, but with more experience than his rival, the Dutchman Martin Verkerk, a very strong server that was unexpected by anyone at that point in a tournament on clay.

“As verkerk won the moyaI’m very nervous about that. But once on court I told myself that he has less experience than me in these types of matches and that helped me win,” said the Levantine, who won in three sets, 6-1, 6-3 and 6 -2 in one of the fewest finals in history.

The coach watched that game with Alcaraz and he assures that although the young generation prefers “the best moments before a complete game”, it served to transmit “details, such as body language, forms,…”.

The young talent jokes about tennis made then and now. “What’s wrong, the ball wasn’t going for you? Did you hit it too loose?”

ferrero He put his experience at the service of one of the most promising tennis players of the new generation, who at the age of 19 lifted his first Grand Slam at the United States Open and is now playing his first major with world no. 1 on his back.

In this labyrinth made up of combining expectations with reality, Ferrero’s help is key.

“Knowing the circuit, the players, helps. It allows me to give him advice and tell him how he will feel when he enters the track. We take advantage of this kind of thing,” said he.

He is the guide that a player who begins to discover the height of the ranks needs, to move to the best with the weight of the hopes of thousands of fans on their shoulders.

“The pressure is always there, with all the players, with all the appointments. But we try to follow our path. The fact that you have already won a Grand Slam will help you convince yourself that you can do it again and control the pressure. We are ready to have a great tournament”, he studies.

The current coach reached number 1 in the world after his victory in Paris and believes that now the pressure is greater, because the fans are more present through social networks and the figure of the players is more sacred.

ferrero He believes that his student made a personality leap after winning in New York, but he also improved his tennis. “He is undoubtedly a better player,” he said.

“There are still things left, as shown in Rome. If you have a regular day and your rival is good, go home. You have to prove that it is the best”, he pointed out in reference to the defeat of Alcaraz in the second round of the Italian tournament against the Hungarian Fabian Marozsanwhich is 135 in the world.

If after the victory at the US Open Ferrero said of Alcaraz which is at 60% of its potential, now ensures that it thrives.

“I can’t tell you how much, but he is more than a player, winning a Grand Slam made him more mature than normal conditions. The injuries also showed him that not everything is beautiful in tennis. That’s why he’s a better player now. He’s grown up, he realizes things,” he said.

Among his main improvements, he points out, is consistency in the game, which leads him not to give points, but also to read matches, even before they start.

Ferrero knew the job was long and a large part of his success depended on Alcaraz not believing he was superior. His dream was to see him receive the cup, 20 years after he received it from her Yannick Noahthe last Frenchman to win today was 40 years ago.