Juan Carlos Ferrero is Carlos Alcaraz's coach, and he doesn't think his protege is the top favorite for Roland Garros.
Alcaraz has been tremendous on clay since he broke out on the ATP Tour as a teenager, as he holds a 128-34 record across all levels of tennis. That's a 79% win rate, and much of that has been done on the ATP Tour.
He has played in 16 finals so far in his career, out of which 10 were on clay. He has a 7-3 record in clay finals, and that just shows how strong he's been on the surface.
He's by far one of the best players in the world. That didn't translate to a Roland Garros trophy so far, though. He's played well at the event in the past but never quite got to the final yet.
There was a good chance last year, but he couldn't quite get it done against Novak Djokovic. Just as he was starting to take over the match, he started to cramp and that ended all of his asipirations.
Many expect him to challenge for the trophy again this year and there will be a chance but his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero dismissed suggestion that he wil be the top favourite.
Speaking to Marca, Ferrero admitted that Alcaraz would be one of the favourites if he would have a good clay season but stopped short of calling him the favourite.
"If he arrives with confidence, after having a good tour on clay, he is one of the favorites. The top favorite? I think it is not necessary to get into that role. If he plays well and shows all his power, he can surely be one of the favorites to win."
Ferrero's words are carefully crafted and for good reason. He's right when he says that Alcaraz is one of the favorites, as there are other players capable of going all the way as well.
Sinner has been great on clay for much of his career, and Novak Djokovic is still around. There is also the pressure angle, which mattered last year.
Djokovic famously said that Alcaraz's cramps were more on the mental side than physical side as the mantle of the favourite hurt him. The Spanish player had a similar view so perhaps, Ferrero is just shielding his player from any added pressure.
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