Alexander Zverev briefly worked with Juan Carlos Ferrero nearly 7 years ago. However, that association ended on a sour note. The Spanish coach then took up working with a young Carlos Alcaraz in what would evolve into a hugely successful partnership.
Ferrero and Alcaraz share a close bond with the latter training at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy since he was 16. However, the 2003 French Open winner’s first foray into coaching a professional full-time met with an unceremonious split. He began working with Zverev in July 2017, only to part ways in February 2018.
The German reportedly wanted more freedom to choose tournaments and skip certain events. Ferrero, meanwhile, was not on board with this and wanted more professionalism (Tennis World USA).
A few months later, in September 2018, Ferrero began coaching Carlos Alcaraz. Their partnership has grown leaps and bounds, and the 20-year-old is now a two-time Grand Slam champion, peaking at World No.1. In 2022, a couple of months after Alcaraz’s US Open win, Ferrero lavished praise upon him.
He said the young star is like a ‘second son’ and they learn from each other. Ferrero said his pupil is easy to work with, something he needed after coaching Alexander Zverev. He said it was not easy to work with the two-time ATP Finals champion because of differences in culture and professionalism.
“He’s like another son for me, the older one. He’s my second player as a coach and I think I keep learning from him and he’s learning from me. We’re both together growing up at the same time. He’s a very nice guy and it’s very easy to work with him. What I know is I needed something like this because after working with Sascha [Zverev] that wasn’t that easy for me, it’s not the same culture, he understands a little bit differently being professional.”
Ferrero added he needed a mentee who had a similar thought process to his, and Alcaraz was exactly that.
“I needed to refresh a little bit and work with someone that was a little bit the same character as me and wanted the same things for the future and in Carlos I think I found it.”
Juan Carlos Ferrero hailed Carlos Alcaraz months after splitting with Alexander Zverev
With his integrity, dedication, and readiness to work hard, Alcaraz has given Ferrero everything he asked for in a pupil. Hence, their relationship has blossomed and the results are out there for all to see. A short while after taking up a 16-year-old Alcaraz in September 2018, Ferrero talked about him in an interview with the ITF.
Ferrero said the teenager, playing in Juniors back then, had loads of potential. He said it was a great opportunity for himself to start from scratch as a coach after a poor run with Zverev.
“He has a very good level. I know he’s 16 years old and he’s very far away still from professional but it was a good opportunity for me to reset a little as a coach after the experience that I had with Zverev.”
Juan Carlos Ferrero remarked working with Carlos Alcaraz was totally different that mentoring Alexander Zverev. He said he spent more time with his fellow Spaniard and had to be more hands-on, something the teenager was okay with.
“It’s a completely different work that I’m doing with Carlos because I have to stay the whole day with him, educate and tell him everything that he needs to improve but he’s a good guy and I’m happy.”
Alcaraz broke his trophy drought after beating Daniil Medvedev in the final to lift the Indian Wells 2024 title, successfully defending it. Ironically, he defeated Zverev en route in the quarter-final. This provides a much-needed boost to him and also Ferrero. The duo will hope to have a similarly great run at the Miami Open 2024 and add to their trophy cabinet.
