NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz can have an extra coach with him when the 2025 season begins.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has employed Samuel Lopez to work alongside Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has coached the Spaniard since he was 15 years previous.
Lopez has coached Ferrero, amongst different gamers. Alcaraz, 21, believes the pairing might help push him again to the highest of the rankings.
“I feel Samuel, for me, is among the greatest coaches that we’ve on tour,” Alcaraz stated Tuesday, the day earlier than a scheduled exhibition match in opposition to Ben Shelton at Madison Sq. Backyard.
“They belief one another one hundred pc and with the ability to journey with each, for me, it is going to be nice. I feel I will develop as a participant due to them. I feel we’re going to work fairly onerous and fairly good for the subsequent season and the subsequent years. Hopefully we’re going to make good outcomes collectively.”
Lopez was a member of Spain’s Olympic workforce in 2000 and 2012. He had been working with Pablo Carreño Busta, who thanked his coach for 9 seasons collectively in an Instagram submit this weekend.
Alcaraz grew to become the youngest participant to succeed in No. 1 within the ATP rankings after profitable the US Open in 2022 at 19. He went on to win two Wimbledon titles and one on the French Open, the place Ferrero received the title in 2003.
Alcaraz completed this 12 months at No. 3. He stated his relationship with Ferrero stays sturdy, crediting the coach for turning him into the participant and particular person he’s now, and permitting him to achieve extra of a voice at their academy.
“They’re listening to me way more than earlier than,” Alcaraz stated. “Clearly once I was 16 years previous I had nothing to say. I used to be simply mouth closed and ears open and did no matter he stated. Proper now I am doing extra issues for myself, for instance I am taking extra selections, severe selections.
“So I feel (we) each are doing nice work collectively as an individual as nicely simply to ensure this relationship continues to be fairly good and the love that we’ve for one another is large. So I love him as knowledgeable however as an individual as nicely.”
US Open ladies’s runner-up Jessica Pegula and semifinalist Emma Navarro can even play within the Backyard Cup.
