“My father is a huge fan of tennis. He doesn’t only watch my matches. I think he gets into the club at 11 a.m., gets out at 10 p.m., watching matches, watching practice from everyone,” Carlos Alcaraz once said, revealing his father’s deep-rooted love for tennis. Fans may recall even that viral moment when Alcaraz Sr. was caught recording Novak Djokovic’s practice at Wimbledon 2023, just before his son clinched the title. Fast-forward 2 years, and Carlos has finally opened up about why, despite his dad’s playing background and passion, he never became his coach. The reason? Well, a heartfelt one.

Carlos Alcaraz Sr, aka Carlos Alcaraz González, has been the architect behind his son’s meteoric rise. A former professional player himself, González was among the top 40 in Spain and served as the director at Real Sociedad Club de Campo de Murcia, where his son first picked up a racket. 

From the age of 4, Carlos Jr. was under his father’s wing, and with an eye for greatness, González later handed him over to none other than former top seed Juan Carlos Ferrero to refine the raw talent he had nurtured.

Appearing in Season 2, Episode 3 of Louis Vuitton’s Extended, Carlos Alcaraz opened up about the powerful influence his father had on shaping his tennis journey. “When I was eight years old, nine years old, on Sundays when nobody’s working, I asked my father, “Okay, let’s go to the club, hit some balls,” like one hour, one hour and a half. Sunday nights, Saturdays. But during the week, I had my coach, I had my group, and he never stepped on court when I was with them,” the French Open champion said.

Alcaraz also reflected on how his father always supported him from a respectful distance, especially during training sessions. “He always wanted to respect, the… let’s say the father’s role. He never wanted to mix, father and tennis coach. So, he always wanted to keep it separate, which is pretty good. And I think it helped me a lot,” the 21-year-old added.

This wasn’t the first time Alcaraz expressed deep admiration for his father. Back in 2024, after clinching a dominant third-round victory over Thiago Seyboth Wild at the Madrid Open, the young tennis prodigy marked the moment with a heartfelt tribute. 

Turning to the camera, the Spaniard dedicated the win to his father on his birthday, saying, “This one’s for you, Dad! Many congratulations!” The emotional gesture struck a chord with fans, showcasing the strong bond they share. Carlitos later doubled down on his love and respect with a sweet birthday post for his father on Instagram, melting hearts all around.

But while his father has played a huge role in shaping Alcaraz’s career, his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, has had a major influence on Carlitos as well.

“Learned a lot from him” —Carlos Alcaraz shares his tribute to coach Ferrero

Juan Carlos Ferrero, the former World No. 1 and the 2003 Roland-Garros champion, took Carlos Alcaraz under his wing in 2019, just after ending his coaching stint with Alexander Zverev. Since then, Ferrero has been instrumental in transforming the young Spaniard into one of the most dominant forces in men’s professional tennis today.

Under Ferrero’s guidance, Alcaraz has captured 4 Grand Slam titles, 5 Masters 1000 trophies, and even clinched a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In the same interview with Louis Vuitton, the Spaniard paid a heartfelt tribute to Ferrero, expressing deep gratitude for shaping both his game and mindset. 

“Well, probably thanks to Juan Carlos I’m the player that I am right now. I learned a lot from him. At the beginning of our partnership, we spent a lot of time together. We travelled a lot, just him and me. And thanks to that I could learn a lot from him as a person, as a player,” Carlos said.

The third seed also went on to highlight a crucial lesson Ferrero instilled in him: the importance of life beyond the court and how personal balance can greatly influence performance. “He taught me about the importance of being off the court, that I have to be a good person off the court, and the things that you’re doing outside is going to have a huge impact on the court. So, that’s taught me a lot. Since I was 16, 17 years old, I started to think about all the things I’m doing off the court just to get better and make sure it’s going to be good on court,” Alcaraz added.

Having won 17 ATP titles already under Ferrero’s guidance, Carlos Alcaraz heads to the upcoming Monte-Carlo hungry for more. Can the Spanish sensation conquer the red clay once again? Share your thoughts in the comments below.