Carlos Alcaraz started the 2024 season without his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, in Australia, but they're back together.
The Spanish coach was unable to travel with Alcaraz to Australia because of a knee surgery he had recently. He wasn't able to really fulfill his coaching duties, during which time Alcaraz worked with another coach, Samuel Lopez.
You can argue that it didn't work out that well, as his stay in Australia wasn't that successful, but the Spaniard has generally been struggling for a while now. His return to Argentina was decent, but then Nicolas Jarry surprisingly bested him, which shows that his tennis isn't quite clicking the way it did before.
The good news is that Ferrero is back in the fold as the Spaniard made the trip with Alcaraz to South America, which was a great help, according to his protege.
"Juan Carlos and I have spent a lot of time together, many years. We have great trust. Of course, it’s important having him there with me, it’s a great help."
Not having Ferrero in his corner during matches isn't something new for Alcaraz. He spent most of his US Open winning experience without Ferrero, who ultimately did make the trip for the final.
It's still greatly beneficial for him to have his coach with him. Asked what Ferrero does for him, Alcaraz simply responded with 'great communication.' They have known each other for a long time, and he's almost like a second father to the young Spaniard.
"We know how to communicate at all times, having him there in the box is genuinely a huge boost, it’s great to have him with me."
They have a lot of work to do to get the youngster back to his usual level. He's been without a trophy for six months, and that's simply too much for a player of his talent.
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