Months after splitting with Carlos Alcaraz, former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero has now expressed interest in joining the team of Jannik Sinner the Spaniard’s biggest rival on Tour. The development has thus come as a surprise for the tennis fraternity.
Speaking to Italian news outlet Leggo, Ferrero said he spent a long time formulating and executing strategies for Alcaraz catering particuatly to his match-up against Sinner. Having a plan to beat the Spaniard’s biggest rival consistently, he said, was a big part of the training.
Thanks for the submission!
He did, however, concede that he favoured Alcaraz over Sinner when it comes to being a complete tennis player. The Spaniard, in his opinion, had more variety, which gave him a 55:45 edge over the Italian.
“Me and [Carlos Alcaraz) studied improvements by calibrating them specifically to Jannik Sinner,” Juan Carlos Ferrero said. “If you ask me who’s the strongest at the top, I say [Carlos Alcaraz]. He is more dynamic, he has more shots, he knows how to take away the rhythm.”
“Jannik Sinner likes to play fast and at the same height, and if you make him play like that you never beat him. For me, one hundred percent, [Carlos Alcaraz] is slightly ahead: like 55 percent to 45 percent. But between those two, there will always be very open matches.”
Circling back to coaching duties, Ferrero said he initially had no intention to join Sinner’s team given that his split with Alcaraz had been less than cordial. Over time though, he added, he has come around to the idea, saying he would love to coach the “hard-working” Italian.
“I immediately imposed discipline and hard training. I pushed [Carlos Alcaraz] to the limit and I told him many “nos”, even when he wanted to buy a $9 million dollar yacht,” he continued. “You have to keep them on the ground.”
“What if Darren Cahill retires tomorrow and I’m asked to coach Sinner? A few months ago, I would have said no, the break with Carlos Alcaraz was too fresh. But today I feel stronger. I answer: why not? Jannik Sinner loves to work hard and is willing to do anything to stay No. 1. It would be great to train him.”
Carlos Alcaraz’s absence, Jannik Sinner’s exit throws open French Open draw
After a hugely successful partnership, Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero ended their partnership abruptly. Notably, there were said to be differences over the contract and visions for managing the Spaniard’s career.
Alcaraz is currently recovering from a wrist injury that had sidelined him from the majority of the clay season. He was unable to defend his crown at the ongoing French Open.
Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, made am unceremonious exit from the claycourt slam in the second round. The Italian failed to convert a two-set lead against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Struggling under the Paris heat, he folded in five sets, throwing open the men’s draw for a new champion.
Edited by Vedant Chandel