"Carlos Alcaraz is basically a talented player with no tennis IQ" - Fans react to Spaniard needing "instructions" from coach Juan Carlos Ferrero

Carlos Alcaraz recently admitted to mostly following coach Juan Carlos Ferrero's instructions during his matches. The newly-crowned French Open champion also said that in many moments on the court, he does not exactly know what to do. However, the Spaniard's admission has not gone down well with a section of tennis fans.

Alcaraz became a three-time Grand Slam winner at just 21 after getting the better of Alexander Zverev in the French Open men's singles final on Sunday, June 9. The Spaniard found himself two sets to one behind, but a stellar display across the last two sets put the match to bed. As he so often does, Alcaraz turned to his box regularly during the match, as Ferrero, with his coaching team, orchestrated the Spaniard's recovery.

In an interview with L'Equipe, Alcaraz laid bare that he relies heavily on Ferrero's coaching to win his matches. He had expressed similar sentiments after his third-round French Open win over Sebastian Korda. The World No. 2 went on to say that he experiences many moments on court where he is unable to find solutions to the problems posed by opponents on his own.

"Honestly, in the vast majority of cases, I apply what Juan Carlos advises me to do. From outside the court, we can see much better... So I apply. There are plenty of moments where I don't really know what to do on the court," Alcaraz told L'Equipe.

[Benoit Maylin] Alcaraz (via L'Equipe): "Honestly, I follow what Juan Carlos advises me to do. There are plenty of moments where I don’t really know what to do on the court." byu/jovanmilic97 intennis

Several tennis fans across Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) questioned Alcaraz's abilities after his surprisingly honest take surfaced. One set of fans opined that the Spaniard, despite his undeniable talent, lacks tennis IQ.

"So basically a talented player with no tennis IQ. Makes tennis so much less interesting," a fan wrote on X.

"Carlos being too transparent for his own good. Essentially, he admits that he is often unable to work out tactics on the court and needs instructions to perform at his best. Essentially, you might as well program a suitable humanoid robot to obtain the same results as him," another fan on X commented.

"The complete champion is the one who can manage on his own in every situation without help from third parties," yet another fan weighed in on X.

"How lame is that," another fan on X chimed in.

Another set of fans lamented the legalization of coaching in tennis, pointing to the past when it was not permitted and players had to find their ways out of problematic situations on the court.

"And that’s precisely why tennis has been radically changed with the new rules. It was fascinating to watch a player understand what was happening on court whilst playing, be lucid enough to change tactics. That’s gone," wrote a fan on X.

"This is how legalizing on-court coaching has changed the game. Some fans like it, others may not. Some players may benefit from it greatly, others who aren't as open to feedback or who don't have as great of a coach may not," a fan on Reddit commented.

"I think the tennis star of the future will, in general, be less cerebral than the tennis star of the past," yet another fan on Reddit chimed in.

Juan Carlos Ferrero was worried by Carlos Alcaraz's display in the French Open final

Carlos Alcaraz (L) and Juan Carlos Ferrero (R) during a practice session at the 2024 Madrid Open

Ferrero, despite overseeing yet another Major-winning run from Alcaraz, voiced his worry over the Spaniard's French Open final performance. In an on-court interview with Eurosport, Ferrero said that Alcaraz had failed to execute the plan that they had collectively hatched to overcome the threat of Zverev.

The 2003 French Open champion also said that Alcaraz almost always tries to play an extravagant brand of tennis, which often goes against him.

"I saw Carlos a little bit up and down, suffering too much, not doing all the things we've been talking in the locker room. But at the end I don't know how he could resist with the physical problems that he had and at the end, win the trophy. It seems to me that sometimes he wants to play too good. He doesn't need to play all the time that incredible level he wants to. Sometimes, he needs to slow down a little bit," Ferrero told Eurosport.

Alcaraz's next outing is slated to be at the Cinch Championships at The Queen's Club to defend his 2023 title.