'They Play By Instinct': Legendary Tennis Coach Compares Alcaraz To Federer

ATP
Monday, 08 January 2024 at 16:30
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Carlos Alcaraz bears similarities to many tennis legends, and one of Roger Federer's former coaches has recently given his take on the highly talented Spaniard.

Alcaraz has enjoyed a meteoric rise on the men's tour, making quite the splash from a young age. Since making his ATP debut at the age of 16 at the Rio Open, Alcaraz has won two Grand Slams and ascended to World No. 1.

He has beaten his childhood idol Rafael Nadal and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic - two men who are part of the golden standard in modern tennis.

In a recent episode of the Inside-In podcast, Jose Higueras talked about Roger Federer - one of his former pupils - and showered him with praise despite working together for a very short time in 2008.

But Higueras, who is one of the sharpest tennis minds, has seen enough of the Swiss maestro to assert that there is another standout player very much in his mold.

Higueras, who also hails from Spain, has been keenly interested in Carlos Alcaraz's journey to stardom. During an interview at last year's US Open, he stated that his countryman possesses an all-around skill level.

Alcaraz has been compared to the Big 3 by many onlookers. And even his current rival, Novak Djokovic, has been astonished by what he has seen from the 20-year-old.

Higueras is not surprised as he believes that some gifts, like Federer's technique, are instinctive and that Alcaraz reminded him of the retired 20-time major champion.

"And as a coach also, I learned that there are some people that you can structure more than others. And like with Roger. He's a great talent, and a lot of those guys, I think Alcaraz kind of reminds me a little bit of that too, they play by instinct a lot more than other players that you can actually structure more."
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