Carlos Alcaraz is playing well, but he should not be considered favorite to win Monte-Carlo, Rome or Roland Garros: Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero

Following his sensational win in Miami last week, Carlos Alcaraz is being touted as a future great who has the ingredients to follow in the footsteps of countryman Rafael Nadal.

During a recent interview with Punto de Break, his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who knows the talented youngster better than anyone else, dwelt on what made his pupil special. But the Spaniard also struck a note of caution when asked if Alcaraz was the man to beat during the upcoming clay swing.

"I think that Carlos is not the great rival to beat, there are players like Casper Ruud who are at a high level too. Novak Djokovic when he picks up the pace, Thiem the same," Ferrero said.

"We should not put him as a favorite, he is playing very well, but to put him as a favorite in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome or Roland Garros, at 18 years old, is to put a very heavy backpack on him. You have to take it into account and, if he gets to the level, he can win some of them. It is an exaggeration to make him a favorite in all tournaments."

"He adapts very well to all surfaces" - Juan Carlos Ferrero on Carlos Alcaraz's strengths

During the interview, Ferrero also reflected on the final of the Miami Open, where Carloz Alcaraz defeated World No. 8 Casper Ruud to replace Novak Djokovic as the youngest-ever champion of the Masters 1000 tournament.

Ferrero laid emphasis on the fact that the 18-year-old remained calm even when he was three games down in the opening set.

"What has improved the most is that he has the time to analyze what is happening on the court and find a solution from a calm perspective. In Miami, he started three games down and at no time was he tense, nervous or frustrated. It is very important to know how to assimilate very well what is happening," Ferrero said.

"He has grown a lot in knowing how to control the moments of the game. The best thing about him, whether he plays well or badly, is that he is very capable of being very close to the scoreboard and that makes the difference. He knows how to compete in all the situations that are created in a game, that's very important," the coach added.

Ferrero, who won the French Open during his playing days, opined that while Alcaraz relishes clay, he has developed his game on hardcourt as well.

"He adapts very well to all surfaces. He plays better on clay, but for a year and a half he has been training on hard courts to give the level he is showing on hard surfaces. On grass it is difficult to say if he is going to be a specialist. Practically all surfaces are going to be good for him, he adapts very well to everything," Ferrero said.

After a successful hardcourt swing in which he won his maiden Masters 1000 title, Alcaraz will shift his focus to clay, beginning with next week's Monte-Carlo Masters.