Is Alcaraz giving himself the means to achieve his ambitions? Ferrero and Bautista Agut have some doubts
Juan Carlos Ferrero and Roberto Bautista Agut believe that Carlos Alcaraz has to make more sacrifices to become one of the best players in the sport’s history
Carlos Alcaraz, Barcelona 2025
Image Credit: Zuma / Psnewz
“My dream is to be one of the best players in history,” said Carlos Alcaraz at the press conference of the Miami Masters in 2023. By becoming the youngest world No 1 in tennis history in 2022 and having four Grand Slam tournaments to his name, the Spaniard has already left an indelible mark on his sport.
But the Spaniard does not intend to stop there and is clearly aiming for the record of most Grand Slam titles held by Novak Djokovic in the men’s category (24). But is Alcaraz giving himself the means to achieve his ambitions? For his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, there remains some room for doubt.
In the recently released Netflix series, Carlos Alcaraz: May Way, the 2003 Roland-Garros champion talks about his charge’s state of mind, which does not seem compatible with his ambitions for the moment. Ferrero speaks about Alcaraz’s’ decision to go on holiday with friends after his victory on the Parisian clay in June 2024.
“He has a different way of understanding work and sacrifice. So different that I have come to doubt that he can really become the best player in history. Winning two Grand Slams this year (in 2024) is great but the real challenge is to maintain this number every year. That’s what’s really difficult,” Ferrero says in the series.
Bautista Agut adds another layer
While Ferrero’s statement has caused a lot of chatter on social networks, Roberto Bautista Agut added another layer on the occasion of the Madrid Masters 1000. Interviewed in the mixed zone on Friday, the Spaniard implied that with the current lifestyle of his young compatriot, he would not be able to hold out for the long term, like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
“Tennis at the highest level requires a lot of sacrifice. Carlos will not win Grand Slams by going to bed at 7 AM. For the moment, everything is fine, he’s young and everything is going well, but if he wants to reach the level of the Big 3, he’ll have to play for 15 years.”
But Bautista Agut has no doubt that Alcaraz will mature over time and understand how he must work to become one of the best players in the history of the sport.
“He’s an intelligent player and person and little by little, he’s going to realise what needs to be done to last at the highest level and will end up applying them.”
Absent from the ongoing Madrid Masters due to a right leg injury and pain in his left leg, Alcaraz is expected to make his return in a little over a week at the Rome Masters.
