Ferrero, about Alcaraz: "I'm seeing him mentally better than ever"

Jose Morón | 3 Sep 2025 | 19.27

Ferrero, about Alcaraz: "Mentally, I'm seeing him better than ever". Photo: Getty

Streaming UTR Pro Knoxville live tennis

🎾 Lucas Perez vs Louis Keenan

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

This Friday, Carlos Alcaraz will face Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the US Open. The Serbian already defeated Carlitos in Australia, and the current world number 2 wants to avoid what happened that night in Melbourne, stopping Nole in the same way he stopped Jannik Sinner in the last two Grand Slams.

It is likely to be more challenging for Alcaraz to overcome the Belgrade native, as Nole arrives at these semifinals much more rested and energetic than in Paris and London, where he reached the semifinals running on reserve. The wolf is much more prepared now and will be more dangerous than the last times he faced Jannik.

According to the Spanish press in New York, Juan Carlos Ferrero details the current situation of Carlitos, showing possibly his best level on this surface, surpassing even what we have seen from him in the past at other hardcourt tournaments like Indian Wells or the US Open three seasons ago.

"We have always known he was very good in terms of tennis skills, but mentally I see him better than ever," Juan Carlos explains. "In this tournament, he is demonstrating consistency without ups and downs, reaching the potential that we believed he could achieve." Alcaraz has been known for showing fluctuations during matches or tournaments, but in this latter part of the season, that has changed.

Both in Cincinnati and at the US Open, we are witnessing a much more stable Carlitos maintaining a very high level of play, allowing him to dominate his opponents authoritatively to the extent of reaching these semifinals without dropping a single set. "He is still very young, despite his experience. He is in the process of maturing and improving. Little by little, he was showing signs of improvement, but it is in this tournament that it is most evident. He barely makes five, six, or seven errors per set. That is the difference compared to before," he comments.

We still remember Juanki's words when Carlitos won in New York in 2022, stating in a press conference that he had not yet reached 40% of his potential. "He has improved in every aspect compared to three years ago. Mentally, he is clear that in difficult situations, you need to bring your best level. The serve and the forehand are much better too. He has incredible abilities. Whatever you ask him to do, he does it right away," the coach declares.

Ferrero also tells the press, in words reported by ATP, that after losing the Wimbledon final, the entire team gathered to improve what was not done quite right. "These team discussions are important. We talked about the final, how he felt, and what we saw needed improvement. We discussed how to approach this tour. It was very positive. He was clear about things, and so were we. That has helped him a lot in staying motivated."

Alcaraz chose to skip the Canada tournament, which came just two weeks after Wimbledon. That break allowed him to recharge his batteries to face this tour confidently. "He has come much fresher than last year. That break was great for him. Between Roland Garros and Wimbledon, things were very stressful, and that break is good to clear his mind, be with his people, and maintain a high mental level to keep competing at his best," he adds.

Carlitos will face Djokovic this Friday, who is eager to make a mark in a Grand Slam to get closer to his long-awaited 25th Grand Slam title. "We are very eager to compete against him," says Juanki. "What happened in Australia was painful due to how it all unfolded, but the conditions will be different here. We played at night there, and it slightly favored him with a lower ball bounce. The ball was flatter, which suited him more. Here, I believe that if we play during the day, it will favor us more."

Juanki refrains from saying that Carlos is the favorite against the Serbian. "I wouldn't dare say that even though Carlos comes with great confidence." Still uncertain if Alcaraz and Djokovic's semifinal will be the first (3:00 pm in New York, 9:00 pm in Spain) or the second (7:00 pm in NY, 1:00 am in Spain), Ferrero hopes that the conditions will favor them a bit more to return to a final in this tournament, which elevated Carlos in the tennis scene.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ferrero, sobre Alcaraz: "A nivel mental le estoy viendo mejor que nunca"