Carlos Alcaraz reacts adorably to spotting coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in the Italian Open Champions tunnel

Spanish tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz exhibited child-like excitement upon spotting coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in the champions tunnel in Rome. The World No. 2 shares a close relationship with his coach, who won the Italian Open title all the way back in 2001.

Former World No. 1 Ferrero won the first of his four ATP Masters 1000 titles in Rome during the 2001 edition, defeating Gustavo Kuerten in a thrilling five-setter in the final.

Having called it a day in 2012 after 14 long years as a player on the ATP Tour, the Spaniard has coached compatriot Carlos Alcaraz since 2019. The partnership has led the 20-year-old to accumulate ten singles titles so far, including one Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open. The Major title propelled Alcaraz to the top of the ATP rankings, and he finished 2022 as the youngest-ever World No. 1.

Tennis TV recently shared the Spanish youngster’s reaction as he spotted his coach among the Rome champions on his way to entering the court ahead of his 2023 opener. Alcaraz was all smiles as he pointed to Ferrero’s picture and turned around to look at his coach.

“Look who it is!” exclaimed the World No. 2 with a wide smile.

The 20-year-old is all set for his debut in Rome after missing the tournament last year. The reigning Barcelona and Madrid Open champion is in excellent form this season. Alcaraz has a win-loss record of 19-1 on clay and 29-2 overall in 2023 and is the favorite to lift the trophy in Rome.

More importantly, the 2023 Italian Open is the first tournament this year featuring both Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. The top two seeds could potentially face off for the title, provided both players make it to the final. The Spaniard began his campaign against compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Saturday, where he prevailed 6-4 in the first set (at the time of print).

Carlos Alcaraz hopes to meet Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Italian Open final

Alcaraz and Djokovic at the 2022 Madrid Open

Speaking at a press conference before his debut in Rome, Carlos Alcaraz declared that he hoped to meet Novak Djokovic in the final, adding that it was "great" to be playing in the same tournament as the veteran Serb.

“Being in the same tournament that Novak is, [it's] great, having him here and learning from him,” said Carlos Alcaraz. “It's always good having the best tennis players in the world in the tournament, it's great. I hope to meet him in the final."

"Yeah, I always say that as a tennis fan, I always want to see the best players in the world, to watch them, learn from them, 'cause you have to learn from everyone,” he added. “Yeah, it's great to share the tournament."

The Spaniard defeated Djokovic in their only meeting at the 2022 Madrid Open semifinal. The 20-year-old will overtake the 35-year-old in the rankings regardless of how the two fare in the competition as defending champion Djokovic, who only has a five-point lead over Alcaraz, will not be able to add any points to his tally at the event.

Meanwhile, if the Spaniard wins the Italian Open, he will have a commanding lead over the Serb in the points rankings heading into the French Open.