Carlos Alcaraz’s Lacking ‘Mental Stability’ Forces Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero to Make a Blunt Admission

Carlos Alcaraz has grown up watching Spanish tennis legends lift the Roland Garros titles. It was his dream to win the title on the Parisian clay, and finally, after six years of turning pro, he managed to fulfill his dream. Now, he has also become the youngest player to win Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces. But still, his coach feels the job is far from being over!

The 2003 French Open champion, Juan Carlos Ferrero started working with Carlos Alcaraz when he was 15 years old. Many believe he has been one of the biggest reasons behind Alcaraz’s rapid rise. Ferrero said he’s “super happy” with Carlitos’ emphatic triumph in Paris, but he “hasn’t reached his peak” yet! Recently, while giving an interview to L’Equipe, Juan Carlos Ferrero spoke about the things that Carlos Alcaraz needs to improve to become the best version of himself.

The reporter asked, the 44-year-old Spanish former world number one, about how can his student progress further in his career. Replying to this question, Ferrero said, “In lots of things. He hasn’t reached his peak, far from it. We are trying to find the mental stability that he lacks so that he can maintain a very high level over time. This will come with experience. We continue to work on this.”

Putting our focus straight into the “mental” aspect of the game, even Carlos Alcaraz himself spoke about how he has recently learned that mental strength wins matches. What makes an ordinary player dream of extraordinary things? Is it just talent or something else? Reflecting on the same, the 21-year-old tennis star gave away a tiny bit of secret to success during a recent interview.

He said, “If you are mentally weak, even if you play the best tennis of your life, you probably won’t overcome adversity or win a Grand Slam tournament. You can advance rounds. But when the time comes, if you don’t show mental strength, you don’t win Grand Slams.”

Winning three Grand Slam titles, and holding the Top 3 spots for such a long span isn’t easy! But Carlos is a “testament” to “exceptional talent and versatility“. Even Serena Williams‘ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou believes “mental resilience is crucial” to win vital matches.

Patrick Mouratoglou speaks on the same line as Carlos Alcaraz’s legendary coach

During a recent conversation, Mouratoglou said, “Carlos Alcaraz’s triumph at Roland-Garros shows that you can win big even when not at your best.” He highlighted the fact that Alcaraz’s highs are extremely high, especially during matches, but his lows are very low. Patrick Mouratoglou said although the Spaniard manages to capitalize when he gains momentum in his favor. But at times he gets a bit too carried away easily and starts to lose the points and games in a row.

He strongly believes “Mental resilience is crucial” in these important matches and one has to find ways to stay positive. “A critical area for Carlos’s improvement is reducing the impact of his performance dips. His peaks are high, but his lows are too low, leading to easy losses when he’s not at his best. Every player has ups and downs, but the key is to minimize the lows,” Mouratoglou’s advice to Alcaraz.

However, he thinks Carlos Alcaraz is spectacular proof of how one’s personality and resilience can win the major trophies. Share your thoughts on Alcaraz’s recent title triumph in Paris.