For Carlos Alcaraz’s rise on the tour, a large part of the credit goes to his long-time coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero. The two joined forces when Alcaraz was just 15 years old and have been working together since. Ferrero is a crucial part of Alcaraz’s rise, watching him closely from his junior days to him becoming a Grand Slam champion. Earlier today, the Spanish sensation clinched the China Open title after defeating Jannik Sinner in a nerve-wracking encounter. Subsequently, Alcaraz’s coach had an emotional moment in the stands.

After Alcaraz won the match point in the final-set tiebreaker, Ferrero was reduced to tears while celebrating the win. When quizzed about why Ferrero got emotional, Alcaraz, during the post-match interview, said, “It was a really special win for me, lifting this trophy in front of my team, part of my family. It was a great moment for me. I guess he got emotional at the end because we all know what we went through the last month or the last two months. It was a really difficult moment on the court, off the court.”

The 21-year-old has had tough times of late, especially during the US Open swing. Firstly, he narrowly missed out on winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, losing against Novak Djokovic in the summit clash. Subsequently, physical issues cropped up as he bore the brunt of a hectic season. Alcaraz returned empty-handed from the American swing and even succumbed to a shock second-round defeat at the US Open. At the China Open, his coach was relieved to see Alcaraz finally finding his winning touch.

Alcaraz and Ferrero’s partnership is a match made in heaven. The legendary Spaniard has been extremely crucial to Alcaraz’s success, and the latter seconded this after he won the French Open title earlier this season.

Carlos Alcaraz on executing his coach’s tips on the court

Ferrero first witnessed Alcaraz in action while he was just a 13-year-old kid playing in the junior tournaments. His performances instantly caught Ferrero’s eyes, especially his drop shots which are well-renowned to date. Eventually, Ferrero began working with Alcaraz a couple of years later and the Spaniard has been on the rise ever since.

Earlier this year, Alcaraz clinched his first Roland Garros title, defeating Alexander Zverev in the summit clash. Subsequently, he paid a special tribute to his coach, Ferrero, and revealed how he used his tactics. The Spanish sensation said, “In the vast majority of cases, I apply what Juan Carlos advises me to do. The coach is there to support you and to give you the best instructions for you. So, I apply. There are plenty of moments where I don’t really know what to do on the court. Others where I get frustrated because I can’t find the right way to play.”

Alcaraz won his fourth title by defeating Jannik Sinner in the China Open. He’ll look to carry his winning momentum at the Shanghai Masters, which concludes the Asian Swing of the ATP Tour.