Carlos Alcaraz's agent, Albert Molina, recently revealed that Juan Carlos Ferrero was aware of a lower-level pay bracket when he was appointed to coach the World No. 2.
Ferrero began coaching Alcaraz formally in 2019. Under his tutelage, the Murcia youngster rose to prominence by making his ATP debut in Rio at the age of 16 in 2020 and quickly ascended to World No. 1 two years later after winning the 2022 US Open.
Alcaraz regards Ferrero as a father figure in his professional career, and the pair have a special bond and enjoy great camaraderie. Ferrero, a former World No. 1 himself, steered his pupil to his first French Open triumph this past week and spoke up about the difficulties he encountered watching from the stands.
Although he knows Alcaraz is far from a finished article and has room for improvement, he admired his talent from a young age. In fact, as Molina recently revealed, the 44-year-old turned down proposals to coach more accomplished ATP names and believed in turning Alcaraz into an elite player.
Molina, who works with global sports management company IMG, was the first to identify Alcaraz's potential when he was only 14 and cut deals with top executives of the company to fund his career. He also stressed to Ferrero that his salary would not be on par with that of top-level coaches.
"I talked to my bosses, I told them that in Spain there is a kid with a good projection and from the United States they give me OK. A part of the money helped us and Ferrero on the other hand. He makes the effort and invests in the future. When he accepts and starts working with Carlos, he is aware that he is not going to enter or be paid like a coach of a top player."
Undeterred by the starting pay, Ferrero firmly believed in the project's long-term success. As of June 2024, Alcaraz is now in the Top 10 highest earners in the men's tour despite being only 21 and in his fourth season on the ATP Tour. Although details of Ferrero's current pay have not been disclosed, he is certainly one of the best-paid coaches in the sport.
"Carlos invests in the future. And since we have a very good relationship... This is based a lot on personal relationships. Investing in the future is nice in the moment but then people can fail you. But Juan Carlos and I have a good relationship and we knew that what we agreed would later be fulfilled. And then the family has been very noble and always complied with what was said."
0 Comments