“Why not Roger Federer?”

• Carlos Alcaraz, winner of 6 Grand Slam tournaments at the age of 22, announced on December 17 the end of collaboration with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, then the coach also posted a message confirming this.
• Alcaraz already has 6 Grand Slam trophies under his belt, while Federer is considered one of the greatest players in history with 20 major trophies.

“I think it's very important to think of a coach who is a Grand Slam winner. Carlos already had Juan Carlos Ferrero (former Roland Garros winner in 2003). And I think if you want to bring another Grand Slam champion voice, it should come from a player with a different style. When talking about Murray and Carlos Alcaraz, there is a similarity in playing style. But if you put John McEnroe and Carlos Alcaraz together, suddenly you see a big change”, explained Wilander in an interview for Eurosport.

“Or if you take Stefan Edberg and Carlos Alcaraz, there is a significant difference. Or think about Roger Federer, for example. Now we're talking about someone who could really help Carlos Alcaraz with the aspects of the game that he's not as comfortable with. And I think Roger Federer would be the perfect coach for Carlos Alcaraz“, he added.

Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero, back, photo: Guliver/gettyimages

Wilander was also shocked by the rift between Alcaraz and Ferrero:

“My first reaction was total surprise, because I don't know if I've ever seen two people work better together than Carlos and Juan Carlos. They seemed made for each other. They always managed to bring a smile to Carlos' face during the game. They were obviously serious enough for Juan Carlos to help Carlitos calm down a bit, not to play chaotic tennis, but to play high-performance tennis. Everything they've achieved so far has seemed like the perfect evolution of a tennis player's career. And suddenly that doesn't happen anymore.”

However, the Swede believes that a possible change would not fundamentally affect the Spaniard's game.

“I don't think it will be a big difference in the end because Carlos Alcaraz is too mature. He knows too much about tennis, so I don't think the absence of Juan Carlos will hinder his development. But I think it will be a big change in everyday life, because they had to interact every day: in training, in warm-up, at dinner, at breakfast, during the tournament,” Wilander pointed out.

“So, there will be a significant change in the daily routine. I think in the crucial moments, at 3-3 in the third set, 15-30, when you have to play a decisive point, the change will not matter so much, because in the end Carlos Alcaraz makes the main decisions on the court. Qbut everyday life will be very different”, concluded Mats Wilander.