Do you remember your meeting with Carlos Alcaraz?
“Very well, he was very small. I had known him since he was born because his dad was one of the coaches at the academy. One day he asked me to watch how Carlos hit the ball. They each placed themselves on one side of the field, in addition quite far away, and there were exchanges. I was flabbergasted by what I saw. At 4 years old, we don’t hold the exchange, normally. Well, Carlito had no problem returning the ball to the other side of the net. Also, I saw him do a short backhand crossover. It was just amazing. After that, it went very quickly.”
Carlos Alcaraz wants to do like Roger Federer.
When did you take care of it personally?
“Until he was nine, his dad trained him, but everyone at the club already saw him as a phenomenon. He was growing up and doing things that we had never seen before. He was nine years old when his dad asked me to accompany them to the U10 World Championships in Croatia. I remember that he had booked plane tickets for Saturday morning, convinced that Carlos would not make it through to the quarter-finals. Except that he was only beaten in the final. We had to manage to get back by other means on Monday. We had to drive to Bologna. On the way, we stopped at Umag where the ATP tournament was taking place. I just told Carlos that one day he would fight it. Never, even if he had extraordinary talent, did I imagine that he was going to become the best player in the world. As I speak to you, it feels like yesterday. It’s crazy how time has flown by so quickly. At the time, the father lacked means and a knock was made on the door of a small company in Murcia to help pay for Carlos’ travel. I don’t think she regrets her investment (he laughs). That’s when we really started working together.”
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“Like many gifted people, he preferred tournaments and competition to training.”
At that age, in what state of mind is Carlos Alcaraz?
“At that time, he said he wanted to one day become one of the ten best players on the planet. He had his strong character. That is to say, he was easy to coach because he was one of those prodigies who assimilate things the first time. He was determined and didn’t talk much off the pitch. That said, like many gifted people, he preferred tournaments and competition to training. We went, one day, to Mallorca in the academy of Rafael Nadal. And Toni, Rafa’s uncle and trainer, told me Carlos was learning even faster.
At 4 years old, Alcaraz impressed his future coach. ©DR
Was he calm?
“Overall, yes, enough. But he also broke rackets before he really calmed down around 15, 16. I believe that since then he has hardly ever shown any bad temper again.”
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“Carlos sees tennis as a game that gives him pleasure.”
On the contrary, we see him smiling all the time on the court…
“It’s because Carlos sees tennis as a game that gives him pleasure. Not all players like this sport, but they play it at the highest level because they have a gift. Carlos really has a blast on the court.”
Kid, did he have an example, an idol?
“Let’s say he liked Roger Federer’s game. It is logical, since it is approaching it. But as a Spaniard, he loved Rafael Nadal’s dominance. He has become a fan of him and I can assure you that he is happy to have been able to play against him a few times.
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“If Novak Djokovic was not playing at the moment, Carlos would be far above the rest.”
Some say Alcaraz is a mix of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic…
“Yes I know. That doesn’t mean he’s going to win 60 Grand Slam tricks. But it’s true that deep down, he would like to equal them, even do better. Carlos knows he’s not like the others. Besides, if Novak Djokovic was not playing at the moment, Carlos would be far above the others, I think. Ruud, Rune and the others are excellent players but they don’t have the same level as Alcaraz. He has a little something extra that makes the difference.”
Are you surprised that he made it to the top or did you expect it?
”I am not surprised by the level he reached but by the speed with which he arrived at the top of world tennis. Others like him would have been fired up after winning a Grand Slam tournament at such a young age. Carlos, no. He knows his qualities, knows very well that they are exceptional but remains humble, despite everything.
When did he particularly surprise you?
“At the age of 15, he came out of qualifying challenger Murcia and then beat the No. 1 seed in the tournament. To him, it seemed perfectly normal. A little later, he distinguished himself in Vienna. There, I said to myself that it could go very quickly with him.
What surface does he prefer?
”He feels very comfortable on hard courts and on grass. It’s funny because he was trained on clay. But it’s true that his game works even better on fast surfaces.”
Aren’t you worried that his physical game will cause him a lot of injuries?
“We’ve known that since we were young. Carlito is very aggressive on the court. He hits very hard in all positions. His medical staff are aware of all this and are working well.”
Francisco José Navarro Lorca and Carlos Alcaraz remain very close. ©DR
2023-09-04 14:32:24
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