Alcaraz to play in Australia without coach Ferrero

The former French Open champion has undergone an arthroscopy on his left knee

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells Image Credit: Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic

December 18, 2023

World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz will launch his bid for a first Australian Open (and a third Grand Slam) title in a few weeks. But the 20-year-old Spaniard will not see coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in the stands, according to Spanish media outlet Marca.

Ferrero, a former world No 1 himself, has been working with his younger countryman since 2019. But the former Grand Slam champion is currently recovering from an arthroscopy on his left knee, which means he won’t be able to make the trip Down Under. It is expected that Ferrero will be back in the Alcaraz camp in time for Indian Wells in Match.

For now, Samuel Lopez will be replacing Ferrero on the Spaniard’s team for the Australian leg while Antonio Martinez Cascales will take on coaching role in February.

Alcaraz finished the 2023 season as world No 2 after capturing the Wimbledon title and the semi-finals of Roland-Garros and US Open. The Spaniard also recently announced a clash with countryman Rafael Nadal as part of “The Netflix Slam” which is scheduled to take place in March.

Netflix has announced plans for its next live sporting event — 'The Netflix Slam.'

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will face off on March 3rd at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/CvHs3qz1dX
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) December 11, 2023