Carlos Alcaraz has made a frank disclosure about his guilty habit, and it is that he's too reliant on getting coaching instructions from his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Alcaraz and Ferrero are obviously very close to each other, having enjoyed a professional relationship for five years now. The 44-year-old turned down huge contract offers from established players in order to nurture a 16-year-old Alcaraz at his academy on a modest salary.
But he was a forward-thinking coach and knew talents when he saw them at first glance. When they began working together in 2019, Alcaraz certainly ticked the boxes of a potential elite player, and the now 21-year-old world No. 2 regards Ferrero as a father figure.
Perhaps one of the reasons they enjoy a close connection is because they are always in constant communication on the court, not just in practice sessions but also in actual matches.
Ferrero is extremely vocal when he is in his seat on a match court. While this can be distracting for some players who prefer to have a much quieter dialogue with their coaches, Alcaraz thrives from being advised on what to do.
In fact, in a recent interview on L'Equipe, the three-time Grand Slam champion alluded to the fact that he's sometimes unable to find solutions on the court alone and tends to listen to his coaching box.
"Honestly, in the vast majority of cases, I apply what Juan Carlos advises me to do. From outside the court, we can see much better... So I apply. There are plenty of moments where I don't really know what to do on the court."
This revelation is not a great surprise, considering that Alcaraz made a similar claim after beating Sebastian Korda at Roland Garros two weeks ago. Tennis pundits, including John McEnroe, were far from impressed by Ferrero's constant coaching while calling the match on commentary.
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