Carlos Alcaraz's apparent disagreement with absent coach Juan Carlos Ferrero on tennis draws reaction from analyst

Carlos Alcaraz's interview with Spanish GQ was analyzed by Gill Gross after the young star appeared to be in disagreement with his team and coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, over approaching tennis. Alcaraz was being questioned before his Netflix documentary, My Life, airs on April 23.

In the interview, the GQ journalist appears to highlight a discrepancy between Alcaraz's view of his tennis career and that of his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero. Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion, began working with fellow Spaniard Alcaraz in 2018. The partnership has yielded 17 ATP singles titles and four majors.

Tennis analyst Gill Gross talked about the interview on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

In his analysis, Gross pointed out that the interview was based on what the journalist had seen in the upcoming documentary. He said:

"The journalists interpretation of the documentary was that the central conflict in the doc was Juan Carlos Ferrrero emphasizing sacrifice, discipline, willingness to suffer, and Alcaraz on the other hand emphasizing balance, happiness, well-roundedness, arguing that only when I am in a good headspace, when I'm enjoying myself and my life on this Tour, can I play good tennis."

Gross went on to suggest that the journalist had misunderstood Alcaraz's intentions, and that the young ace had not meant to imply that he was non-committal.

He discussed GQ's next question - "It seems like your team is convinced that you can't be the best in history without being a slave to your sport. Do you think it's compatible to enjoy life and be the best?"

"Answer from Alcaraz: probably not. I don't know. We're on the path to finding out as is really reflected in the documentary. Next question: Why this obsession with being the best in the world? The specific approach the journalist took to this interview went a long way to almost guiding the direction Alcaraz went with these answers."

Having won four Majors already, Carlos Alcaraz's commitment is answered by his results on the court. The controversy has been stirred a little by Ferrero's absence from Alcaraz's team this week in Monte Carlo, although the coach is expected back in place in time for the Barcelona Open.

Carlos Alcaraz's much-anticipated Netflix documentary

is said to deal with conflicting ambitions

Carlos Alcaraz Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters - Day Five - Source: Getty

As well as examining Alcaraz's relationship with Ferrero, the three-part miniseries will tell the young Spaniard's story, from his first steps on the ATP circuit as a 16-year-old, to the exceptional tennis that took him to the World No. 1 spot in 2022 and his four Grand Slam victories.

In the trailer for the documentary, Alcaraz claimed that he wants to do things his way. He said:

"Right now I would fear to see tennis as an obligation. I want to make my own decisions. I want to do it my way."

At first glance, that appears to contradict Ferrero's view. The coach also appeared in the trailer, saying:

"Carlos must choose what he wants to become."

In the GQ interview, Carlos Alcaraz was asked if he'd seen the film, and if it accurately reflected his life on the Tour. Alcaraz said that he had insisted on a warts-and-all telling of his story. He said:

"Yes, I had the chance to see it a few days ago. And I honestly loved it, mainly because it so perfectly reflects who I am and the people who accompany me on this journey. I think everyone who sees it will feel like they know me a little better, especially the personal side."

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz breezed past Daniel Altmaier in the Round of 16 at the Monte-Carlo Masters on Thursday. He'll hope to go deep in the tournament to gain ground on the absent Jannik Sinner in the world rankings. He next plays the 12th seed Arthur Fils in the quarterfinal round on Friday..