Carlos Alcaraz generally has his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, in his ear most of the time during a match, and he reveals what he tells him often when he's struggling.
The Spaniard arrived at a time in tennis when we didn't really know what the future held. We knew Novak Djokovic was playing strong tennis and would continue to do so for a while, but we didn't know what would happen in 5-10 years.
We do know now, as a couple of players emerged in the meantime, including Alcaraz, who was a proper revelation when he turned up. He had this bright smile while playing tennis, a proper joy we haven't really seen in a while.
Most of the players have a very serious approach when playing tennis, but he was just enjoying his time. It comes from his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who often tells him to smile when he's struggling, as the young Spaniard revealed ahead of the 2024 Miami Open. It's not the only thing he tells him, but that's one of those recurring ones.
"It depends on how he’s watching me. If I’m struggling a lot, if I’m in problems or not, he tells me depending on the moments. But I can tell you one of the things he tells me most is, ‘Smile.’"
That smile was absent for a while because he struggled with his tennis and certainly didn't enjoy his time on the court. He even admitted as much, but the smile returned in Indian Wells, especially as he was ending Sinner's unbeaten streak this year. His relationship with Ferrero is as strong as ever.
"He means a lot to me. Obviously it’s a great support when I have him in the box. His support is really special to me. It’s been a long path together, I think six years now. It’s been a long journey together. We started when I was playing in juniors, he did Grade 4 [tournaments] travelling with me."
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