Article by David Istrate – Published Friday, April 24, 2026, 11:33 / Updated Friday, April 24, 2026 11:35
Injured Carlos Alcaraz (22, 2 ATP) described how he sees tennis now, how he trains with Samuel Lopez, his new coach, and hinted at the time in the past when he collaborated with Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Carlos Alcaraz got off to a great start to 2026, winning the Australian Open and Doha titles. Then followed 4 tournaments in which he failed to triumph: Indian Wells semifinal loss, Miami Open third-round loss, Monte Carlo final loss, and Barcelona second-round exit.
As a result, Alcaraz lost the first position in the ATP ranking, the current world leader being Jannik Sinner (24 years old), his rival. Moreover, the Spaniard is dealing with a serious injury to his right wrist, which forced him to withdraw from the tournament in Madrid. His participation in Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, is also in jeopardy.
Carlos Alcaraz: “In the past, pressure and nerves would show up and take over”
In this context, Alcaraz talked about the period he is going through and what changed after Juan Carlos Ferrero was replaced by Samu Lopez. Without mentioning his name, the 22-year-old tennis player hinted that he now has more freedom, more power and is having fun on the court.
“Now I have a say, I can express my opinion, make decisions and communicate what I need. Now I decide when to stop or when it's time to train,” said Alcaraz, quoted by Gazzetta Dello Sport.
“In the past, pressure and nerves would kick in and take over. Today, I approach everything much more calmly, I try to have fun on the field. That's all that matters to me; results will come accordingly” added the world number 2.
At the end of 2025, Carlos Alcaraz announced the end of his collaboration with Juan Carlos Ferrero, who had trained him since he was a teenager and with whom he had become the best tennis player in the world.
