"It was disappointment for everyone" - Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero says Rotterdam win has helped heal his Australian Open heartbreak

Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero opened up about the 21-year-old's disappointment at the 2025 Australian Open and how his Rotterdam Open triumph has helped him overcome that. Ferrero also mentioned the key areas that Alcaraz needed to strengthen to make the most of his 'super talent'.

The World No. 21 was looking to become the youngest man in tennis history to conquer the Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open this year. And while he seemed to be in fine touch, he was stopped by the most successful player in the tournament's history, Novak Djokovic, in the quarterfinals 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 4-6.

In his recent appearance on Radio Marca, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who celebrated in birthday on February 12, touched upon the key areas that Carlos Alcaraz needed to improve on.

"At 21 years old, there is always room for improvement. Carlos is a super talented player but he obviously still has a lot to improve; he has a lot to improve mentally and in terms of consistency in matches. And that is the good thing: we have a very clear motivation and objectives that he is aware of," the former World No. 1 said.

Ferrero also opened up about Alcaraz's Australian Open heartbreak, which though a quarterfinal run, was still disappointing for a player of the 21-year-old's caliber. However, the 45-year-old was also happy to see Alcaraz move on from the defeat with a resounding win at the Rotterdam Open.

"It was a bit of a disappointment for everyone. Many players would have signed up for the quarter-finals, but with Carlos' potential we always thought we could go further. The victory in Rotterdam was a shot of motivation and confidence for what is coming soon. We are happy for the moment," Ferrero said.

With many doubts lingering over his performances on the indoor hard courts, the former World No. 1 silenced his critics with his 17th career title, which pushed him ahead of his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero's tally (16).

"Reminded Juan Carlos Ferrero that Carlos Alcaraz has already surpassed him in titles" - Samuel Lopez

Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Alcaraz during a practice session at the 2025 Australian Open - Source: Getty

Carlos Alcaraz's coach, Samuel Lopez, who joined the Spaniard's team in December 2024, revealed how he and Alcaraz pulled Juan Carlos Ferrero's leg after the 21-year-old surpassed him in career titles after winning the 2025 Rotterdam Open.

“After the final we shared this title with him and reminded him that he has already surpassed him in titles, in addition to having won here, where Juan Carlos lost the final to Hewitt,” Lopez told Eurosport.

Carlos Alcaraz will next be seen in action at the 2025 Qatar Open, which will be the tournament's first edition as an ATP 500 event. He is slated to be joined by Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, among others.