Before the first Grand Slam of 2024, Carlos Alcaraz lost his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, for the Australian Open, which was a devastating blow.
Beginning on December 8, Alcaraz will participate in a five-week pre-season program designed to put him through his paces and get him as fit as possible for the Melbourne event in January.
But Ferrero won’t be able to go to Australia after it was determined he needs arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, so he will have to complete his preparations without him.
MARCA is aware that Ferrero would require crutches following the procedure, thus Samuel Lopez will take over for the former tennis player for the two-week competition.
His first match with the 20-year-old is anticipated to take place in Indian Wells, the US Masters 1000 event that kicks out on March 6, following a protracted period of use of crutches. Will not miss any of his players’ training sessions even after having surgery.
Ferrero has been the two-time Major winner’s coach since 2019, when he started his professional career at the age of sixteen.
It is obvious that losing his dependable instructor will be devastating.
However, there’s no denying that Alcaraz is in capable hands with Lopez, an accomplished trainer who also serves as the coach of fellow Spanish star Pablo Carreno Busta.
The Spaniard has already collaborated with Almaraz; earlier this year, he joined the world’s second-ranked player at Queen’s, which resulted in a title for the native of El Palmar.
Three days prior to the start of the new year, Carlitos and Rafael Nadal will compete in a Las Vegas exhibition that will stream on Netflix.
On December 27, Alcaraz will fly to the exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, accompanied by his agent, Alberto Molina. Later, Lopez will serve as his coach in the Australian Open.
Antonio Martinez Cascales will be traveling with Almaraz to South America in February, where they will compete in tournaments in Rio de Janeiro from February 19–25 and Buenos Aires from February 12–18.
