Carlos Alcaraz’s coaching team has undergone significant changes after he split from his long-time coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, under whom he had achieved prestigious success, a move that shocked the tennis community. The Swedish icon, who has won seven Grand Slams in his career, has recently given his thoughts on who could coach the young Spaniard, among other things.
Former World No. 1 Suggests Roger Federer Could Be the Perfect Fit To Assist Carlos Alcaraz
The Swedish native achieved a breakthrough in the sport after winning the French Open junior title. Apart from this, he also clinched the European U-16 and U-18 Championships, as well as the U-16 Orange Bowl in Miami. He turned professional in 1979 and bid farewell to his notable career in 1996, which included 33 singles and 7 doubles titles, including the Wimbledon doubles championship alongside Joakim Nyström.
He also won the Davis Cup three times in 1984, 1985, and 1987. For his iconic feats on court, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002. During his recent interview with Eurosport, the Swedish icon reflected on who could be the perfect fit for coaching Alcaraz, along with Samuel López.
While highlighting the importance of receiving training from a Grand Slam-winning player-turned-coach, Mats Wilander added, “I think it’s very important to have a Grand Slam winner in mind, and he already had Juan Carlos Ferrero. And I think if you’re going to have another Grand Slam voice in mind, that voice should come from a player with a different style. When you talk about Murray and Carlos Alcaraz, there’s a similarity in their playing style.”
Carlos Ferrero is a former World No. 1 player who, in his professional career, clinched 16 singles titles, including the 2003 French Open. Under his notable guidance, Alcaraz reached the pinnacle of men’s tennis, accumulating 24 ATP singles titles and six Grand Slam titles.
Whereas Andy Murray, as a player, employed a defensive baseline style and achieved prestigious success, collecting 46 singles titles, including three Grand Slam titles and three Olympic medals. He also coached Serbian-Greek legend Novak Djokovic for a season.
Wilander continued, comparing other top names and narrowing in on Swiss legend Roger Federer, who, according to him, would be the accurate fit for the current World No. 1, “But if you take John McEnroe and Carlos Alcaraz, you suddenly see a big difference. Or if you take Stefan Edberg and Carlos Alcaraz, there’s a big difference. Or let’s take Roger Federer, for example. Now, we’re talking about someone who could really help Carlos Alcaraz with the part of his game he’s not so comfortable with. And I think Roger Federer would be the perfect coach for Carlos Alcaraz.”
Federer is widely considered one of the most decorated players in the history of the sport, an all-around player due to his versatility in speed, style of play, and form. He ended his career with 103 titles, including 20 Major titles, a record-making number, and 8 doubles, as well as two Olympic medals.
