A Tale of Two Coaching Stints
Juan Carlos Ferrero has been remarkably candid in comparing his experiences working with Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, and the contrast he paints is striking. Ferrero, who spent seven years guiding Alcaraz to seven Grand Slam titles and a world number one ranking, recently sat down with Eurosport to reflect on both relationships ahead of linking up with a new, as yet unnamed player.
On Alcaraz, Ferrero was warm and philosophical. He explained that when he first began working with the Spaniard at age 15, his priority was never to reshape the youngster in his own image. Instead, he focused on identifying and developing Alcaraz's natural qualities, adapting his coaching approach to the player rather than the other way around. That philosophy clearly paid dividends. After parting ways with Ferrero in December last year, Alcaraz went on to complete the career Grand Slam at the Australian Open under new coach Samuel Lopez, becoming the youngest player ever to accomplish that feat at just 22 years old.
Zverev and a Cultural Disconnect
Ferrero was noticeably more reserved when discussing his brief spell with Zverev back in 2017, when the German was just 20 years old. The Spaniard suggested the two simply did not share the same definition of what being a professional tennis player required, attributing part of the friction to genuine cultural differences between their backgrounds.
Despite that rocky early chapter, Ferrero was generous in acknowledging how far Zverev has come. In 2026, Zverev has claimed both the French Open and the US Open, and has been hovering on the edge of reaching world number one for the first time, a remarkable turnaround guided largely by his father and long-time coach Alexander Zverev Sr.
TennisDraw users flagged Zverev as one of the most selected Grand Slam picks throughout this season, and it is easy to see why.
