“Carlos believes a lot in himself, and he believes that he can beat Djokovic” – Alcaraz’s coach Ferrero

The two have met only once before with Alcaraz winning their semi-final in Madrid last year

Carlos Alcaraz at Roland-Garros 2023

June 7, 2023

Juan Carlos Ferrero, the coach of world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz, revealed that the young Spaniard is excited and confident ahead of his highly-anticipated semi-final clash with 22-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic at Roland-Garros on Friday.

Alcaraz, the reigning US Open champion, meets Djokovic, the current world No 3 and two-time French Open champion, who has won the last two Majors he has played, in what is being described as ‘the final before the final’ in Paris.

The two have played only once before – a semi-final clash at the Madrid Masters last year which Alcaraz won in a three-set humdinger and Ferrero, a former French Open champion himself, spoke to the media on Wednesday about Alcaraz’s mindset ahead of the semi-final.

“We know Novak a lot. We will try to prepare the match about the tactical situations about the match,” Alcaraz said. “Maybe the situations we’re going to have during the match, tough ones, or maybe if you don’t play as good as the other days, what the attitude has to be and these kind of details. But as I said, I think Carlos is absolutely ready. He wants to play the match, and the small details I cannot tell you (laughing).”

“He wants to do it, but of course, we really know that Novak is going to give absolutely his best. He is 22 Grand Slam champion. I think he is going to fight until the last ball, and he is going to prepare the match as well as we can do. So we expect really tough and close match. As I said, Carlos believes a lot in himself, and he believes that he can beat Novak. Then we’ll see. I think they both have an amazing level.”

The most impressed things that he shows on maybe the most important moments of the tournament, so it’s on the way to the end.
Juan Carlos Ferrero

Alcaraz played some of his best tennis during the tournament in his quarter-final win over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Ferrero said he continues to be impressed by Alcaraz’s ability to play incredible tennis at clutch moments.

“Impressed obviously about his level, yes, but obviously as well that I’m with him now almost five years, so let’s say I know the level he’s able to play. So in that way I’m not impressed at all because I know that he can play like this. The most impressed things that he shows on maybe the most important moments of the tournament, so it’s on the way to the end. This is the most important thing and the most impressed for me that he is showing his best level against the best. So that’s the most important thing. About technically or physically, both. I think the way he is playing, that he is able to make any shots on the court. If you ask him to go to the net in a match point, he is able to do it. Or if I ask to return and go to the net, he is able to do it and make the dropshot, or working a point like ten balls or maybe going for second one. So that’s the most impressed thing about him that he is able to do every kind of shot.”