Carlos Alcaraz's coach reveals when the youngster knew he was ready to defeat Rafael Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, has revealed how the youngster reacted mentally after losing to Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells 2022.

Apart from winning four ATP titles and a Major last year, Alcaraz scripted history by becoming the only player to defeat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in back-to-back matches on clay.

However, a few weeks before his remarkable achievement at the Madrid Masters, Alcaraz failed to outfox Nadal at Indian Wells. Despite losing comprehensively against the former World No.1, the 19-year-old had already apprised his coach that he was ready to defeat Nadal.

In an interview with Tennis Majors, Ferrero gave an insight into their conversation and how the youngster learned to take his game to a higher level.

“After losing against Nadal at the Indian Wells in the semifinals Alcaraz came out of the court and said ‘I think I’m ready to defeat him now’. It was the first thing he told me after losing and then he beat Nadal and Djokovic in Madrid. As I mentioned previously, he has this ability to feel when he’s ready,” he said.

Ferrero also mentioned that the quarterfinal loss against Zverev at the 2022 French Open and the marathon encounter against Sinner at Flushing Meadows were instrumental in shaping Alcaraz's mindset.

The Spaniard has made a strong start to the 2023 season, garnering 18 wins from 20 matches, with title-winning runs at the Argentina Open and Indian Wells. He also secured a runner-up finish at the Rio Open and reached the semifinals in Miami.

Minor injuries have been a cause of concern for Alcaraz, who missed the 2023 Australian Open and has now been ruled out of the Monte Carlo Masters.

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Alcaraz's coach analyses whether Spaniard can win 22 Grand Slam titles like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

2022 Men's US Open Champion Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz won his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open. He has consistently been compared to the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, with fans and pundits backing him to be the Big 3's successor.

Alcaraz's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, shared his thoughts on the teenager's chances of emulating what the legends of the game have managed to achieve in the past. He said:

"He does think super big. A lot of journalists ask me if he can win 22 Grand Slams. I don’t know. What I know is that he is able to do big things for tennis. Let him play and try. If he wins the second, we’ll ask him when will be the third. It will be a great pressure all the time. So can he do like the others did? I don’t know."