October 28, 2022 • 15 mins
Daniela catches up with Juan Carlos Ferrero former world #1 player and current coach of US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz. Daniela and Juan Carlos discuss the difference in playing and coaching and the evolution of his academy.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, well, yes, and Carlos, thank you so so much
for your time, because I know you've been credibly busy
on the court of the court wherever you are in
the world at home as well. Um, first of all,
(00:21):
I want to ask you, have you been able since
New York to already kind of digest everything that has
happened there for you guys, let's say a little bit,
because you know, I've been through before to to what
it's happening to Carlos, and I know more or less
how to handle a little bit uh on the court
(00:44):
and of the court, So you know, having that before
before it helps a little bit too, you know, to
digest a little bit better what's going on now. Um,
let's remind a little bit back. It's been almost exactly
ten years you're retired. It was October two twelve. I
believe if I told you that from ten years you're
(01:07):
going to be having incredibly successful academy, UM, working with
one of the potentially grades of our game, would you
believe that about about let's say about academy. I was
pretty pretty sure, because you know, the way we we
are working here, We're having a lot of uh professionals
(01:28):
here we were, you know, we're promoting a lot of
tennis players here, and the academy was, let's say, was
working very good before all this happened. Uh, let's say,
we had David fred here, uh, Sarah Poba, we had here,
Justin and an Nicolas Almagro, let's say, public a lot
(01:52):
of a lot of uh, let's say, professionals that you
know they have they had very sex has tennis careers.
So the academy was wasn't about doubt and being the
coach of a number one in the world, I would
say I I was. I wasn't sure at all because
(02:16):
at the beginning, uh, let's say it was, it was
not my idea to coach. Very early on the tour,
I think I what happened just happened for five years
that I was only in the academy working for for
the kids, and I stayed at courts here before traveling
with ShaSS birth. It was my first try being with
(02:39):
a professional. Uh. And yeah, after that, I made the
decision to change absolutely everything and I started with with
a new player, that is Carlos Alcarat. And it was
a completely different situation that when I started with Shasha
because Shasha. I was number five in the world when
(03:00):
I started with him working and with Carlos he was
I think he had played UM two futures at that
time when I started with him, So it was a
very different goals and situation. And it was one of
the reasons that I decided to start to work with
him because it was fresh new start for me, trying
(03:24):
to build a very good play with a lot of
let's say, good conditions, but at the same time, everything
was was still to build, uh, and it was let's say,
it was a big goal for me, and I was
one of the reasons that I get I get to
to work with him. When you mentioned the start with
(03:46):
Carlos Um, did you see it right away this is
something special or a lot of people asked me about that,
and let's say I saw different conditions and maybe other
with that age you you could see when I when
I watched him on the court, that I was very
(04:06):
dynamic going to the net already with he was a
fifteen years old, making a lot of drop shots, making lobs,
making the slice, you know, changing altitude on the on
the on the same point. So it wasn't easy to
see in someone that I was a fifteen h you know,
(04:26):
hit old kind of shots on the court and almost
on one point, so I knew that he was different.
But at the same time, you know, when you have
a diamond on on your hands, you have to uh
take him on on the good path, you know, good
directions and always it's let's say, not not very easy,
(04:49):
um being yourself number one in the world playing against
Raphah Roger Norvak. If you can describe, maybe with one
towards what is it that Carlo has, Carlos has that
maybe you guys didn't have, or what or you can say, okay,
this is a new generation of you know, approaching tennis,
and or is it pretty much the same just maybe fast,
(05:12):
he plays faster, he plays faster and that maybe we
we did uh Physically, I think they are improving a lot.
I mean, now let's say he's fast and he's powerful
and his strength on the court, you could that you
could see he's very splossive. And let's say before you
(05:33):
you had one of these things, not altogether. Now I
think they are more prepared to, you know, to build
a complete package of you know, all the things that
we were mentioning in one player and I think Carlos
has all of them. And I think also you managed
with Carlos to completely change what means the meaning of
(05:54):
a passing shot, because so many times watching his matches
in New York, you feel like his opponents in the
passing shot, but no, he just turns around, keeps chasing
them and manages to come back, which I think we
didn't have. You know, I'm fighting against this all the time.
You know, we're working a lot of times with the
passing shot, and it's one of the things that he
(06:16):
has to improve because there's a lot of times that
he continues important and that he should have wanted. So
we're working. I don't know. I mean, when he comes
to the net and the plays a passing shot, normally
no one else reaches it. But for some reason, that's
all the point. It's not over. He runs back and
may just like how how is that possible? Yeah? I mean,
(06:39):
let's say he's like he's very fast on the board,
and he's very fast on the net. Let's say he's
movie he's moving on the net is like a cat.
You know, he's moving like super fast, and that's all
that's why always when he when I see him going
to the net. It's like, I'm very calm, you know,
It's it's of the points he he wanted, so it's
(07:05):
one of the things that it's very nice from him. Okay,
let's switch quickly to maybe not feeling so calm with
you watch Carlos playing golf. You know, we're going to
talk about him, but for some reason we managed to do.
So how is it when you guys play golf and
the dynamics there? Yeah, yeah, I mean, let's say we
(07:25):
were very excited to play every week that that we can,
because it's not happening very often, but every time that
that weekend that we're very happy about it because it's
like a very calm moment for us. Um, he just
started playing golf and he you know, he loves golf
and he loves to go and try to to, uh
(07:47):
to get better. But yeah, the feeling is it's great.
We try to bet all the time, his handicap in mine,
and we try to make it very funny and we're
very competitive at the same time. But at least there
you are still away ahead and you've got time. Absolutely,
absolutely absolutely we tried to get it. We tried to
(08:07):
get it even even a tournament. Even on tournaments, before
to play the tournament, we tried to to get some
day to at least play nine and do a little
bit different than the normal day. Yeah cool, um. One
of the things I always discussed with my m precious guests,
it's how how is important for you to make the
(08:30):
transition between one incredibly successful career as yours was on
the tennis court and make it just as as good
in the second part of your life. When do you
think it's the ideal time to start preparing for for that,
like when you were on the tour, When did you
start thinking about what is it that I want to
do afterwards? And what helped you make the transition as
(08:52):
as good as you've managed to. For sure, the Academy
helps me to, let's say, stay calm at the beginning,
because after a long career that you could have when
you were playing, I think you need a little bit
count time, you know, to decide what's gonna be and
what you want to do in the future. But of course,
(09:15):
in my example, let's say that the academy, um, you know,
helps me to keep busy when I need it and
to stay calm when I needed because I live here
one of the corners of the of the academy. It's
a very common place to leave. And that's what I
needed when I when I finished, you know, I start
(09:36):
to play golf and I start to to do more,
let's say, other sports like paddle or bicycle or motorbike
that I love, uh And I think it just just
happened five years when you know, I take the decision
to to stop, and then five years later I take
(09:59):
that this is and too, you know, to make it
more seriously about coaching someone. In these five years, I
start here, you know, let's say, advising the players and
given tips and you know, stay here at the academy,
keep as I said, busy also at the office controlling
everything good. But you know, it was a time that
(10:21):
something inside me, uh like I told me that I
needed to travel a little bit and get into the
circuit again and you know, try to get some someone
to to make a good relationship as uh you know
tennis uh players and as a coach that I tell
(10:44):
you that it's not very easy because you you feel
very frustrated when you're on the chair coaching there and
that you can you can you can do nothing about it.
What is happening on the court. But yeah, I think
that academy was the key to me to you know,
to relieve all what I what I needed at the beginning,
(11:05):
and then you know, um give me everything the what
I need to to start again as a as a
real job. So the obvious question whether it's harder to
play or quote coach, absolutely coaching you knew with you
before before. My answer, it's incredible. When I when I
(11:29):
see my face on the TV, it's like I'm like
this watching the matter, but it's like I felt that
I'm I'm inside the court hitting the points. You know,
it's unbelievable. So but what do you do say when
Carlos finished at three am in New York. Okay, he's tired,
but he started so good in a physical way that
(11:50):
he's going to fall asleep in one hour. But I
couldn't fall atly because I was so excited. So in
your shoes, like, what on earth do you do? Like
you got go and run out Central Park for ten times?
Or wow? You know, after four years with Carlos, I
you know, let's say, I know what what what I need?
After after the matches. You know, at the beginning it
(12:12):
was so much worse. Now it's so much better because
I know it's gonna play more or less good and
he's going to compete. But at the same time, you know,
Use Open was absolutely crazy. All the matches that he
he had. You know, it was an amazing feeling, but
at the same time an amazing uh suffer time. So um,
(12:34):
You've managed to, obviously do the business tradition transition incredibly well.
How do you manage to stay in shape yourself these days?
Because we all approach a different way. We talked about
it a little bit before. What's your kind of days here?
The academy is very easy because I normally do what
(12:55):
Carlos does. Uh yeah, more or less, more or less
uh now in my way, not the same ways and
maybe not running that much. But I play tennis, I
do gym and uh you know, play golf, play paddle,
So it's very easy to stay and shape. And when
(13:15):
I travel, Uh, let's say, I have my routines. I
go like four or five times a week a team
and running a bit, and it's something that I like.
It's not that I need, it's something that I like.
And I like to play tennis. I like to you know,
keep working on the team and have my routines. Like
very seriously, Uh, I think I had it. I had
(13:38):
it to my life and it's very tough to take
it away. Yeah, we need it. It's our drag exactly exactly.
And just lastly on the academy, Um, is it something
you want to be always focused more just on the
professional part or any enthusiastic amateur that wants to improve
their game, it's it's it's good for them to come
(14:01):
as well. Or is it purely just for professionals. These
days now as we opened a little bit our ideas
the academy and people amateurs and the people that they
lost tennis, they can they can come here as a
group or maybe individual to start with, uh, you know,
work for a week or something like this. We make
(14:21):
a program like physically and tennis with one of the coaches. Uh. Yeah,
let's say before it was more competing and that just
people that they wanted to be a professionals they were
allowed to be here. But now it's quite more open
and uh, let's say people can come and enjoy you know,
(14:42):
staying staying close of the professionals and at the same
time to try to improve their levels. Yes, so if
anyone wants to be in shape as you and kind
of try to be close to Carlos game on the court,
any amateurs are welcome to days as well. Absolutely perfect,
no problem. Well come Carlos. I know how crazy busy
(15:02):
you are with everything going on Congress once again, of
everything that, thank you very much, Thank you and Carlos,
and yeah, hopefully I hope to see you very very soon,
either on a golf course or somewhere. It will, it will,
for sure, it will, for sure, I'll see the tournament
Okay, well, yes, and Carlos, thank you so so much
for your time, because I know you've been credibly busy
on the court of the court wherever you are in
the world at home as well. Um, first of all,
(00:21):
I want to ask you, have you been able since
New York to already kind of digest everything that has
happened there for you guys, let's say a little bit,
because you know, I've been through before to to what
it's happening to Carlos, and I know more or less
how to handle a little bit uh on the court
(00:44):
and of the court, So you know, having that before
before it helps a little bit too, you know, to
digest a little bit better what's going on now. Um,
let's remind a little bit back. It's been almost exactly
ten years you're retired. It was October two twelve. I
believe if I told you that from ten years you're
(01:07):
going to be having incredibly successful academy, UM, working with
one of the potentially grades of our game, would you
believe that about about let's say about academy. I was
pretty pretty sure, because you know, the way we we
are working here, We're having a lot of uh professionals
(01:28):
here we were, you know, we're promoting a lot of
tennis players here, and the academy was, let's say, was
working very good before all this happened. Uh, let's say,
we had David fred here, uh, Sarah Poba, we had here,
Justin and an Nicolas Almagro, let's say, public a lot
(01:52):
of a lot of uh, let's say, professionals that you
know they have they had very sex has tennis careers.
So the academy was wasn't about doubt and being the
coach of a number one in the world, I would
say I I was. I wasn't sure at all because
(02:16):
at the beginning, uh, let's say it was, it was
not my idea to coach. Very early on the tour,
I think I what happened just happened for five years
that I was only in the academy working for for
the kids, and I stayed at courts here before traveling
with ShaSS birth. It was my first try being with
(02:39):
a professional. Uh. And yeah, after that, I made the
decision to change absolutely everything and I started with with
a new player, that is Carlos Alcarat. And it was
a completely different situation that when I started with Shasha
because Shasha. I was number five in the world when
(03:00):
I started with him working and with Carlos he was
I think he had played UM two futures at that
time when I started with him, So it was a
very different goals and situation. And it was one of
the reasons that I decided to start to work with
him because it was fresh new start for me, trying
(03:24):
to build a very good play with a lot of
let's say, good conditions, but at the same time, everything
was was still to build, uh, and it was let's say,
it was a big goal for me, and I was
one of the reasons that I get I get to
to work with him. When you mentioned the start with
(03:46):
Carlos Um, did you see it right away this is
something special or a lot of people asked me about that,
and let's say I saw different conditions and maybe other
with that age you you could see when I when
I watched him on the court, that I was very
(04:06):
dynamic going to the net already with he was a
fifteen years old, making a lot of drop shots, making lobs,
making the slice, you know, changing altitude on the on
the on the same point. So it wasn't easy to
see in someone that I was a fifteen h you know,
(04:26):
hit old kind of shots on the court and almost
on one point, so I knew that he was different.
But at the same time, you know, when you have
a diamond on on your hands, you have to uh
take him on on the good path, you know, good
directions and always it's let's say, not not very easy,
(04:49):
um being yourself number one in the world playing against
Raphah Roger Norvak. If you can describe, maybe with one
towards what is it that Carlo has, Carlos has that
maybe you guys didn't have, or what or you can say, okay,
this is a new generation of you know, approaching tennis,
and or is it pretty much the same just maybe fast,
(05:12):
he plays faster, he plays faster and that maybe we
we did uh Physically, I think they are improving a lot.
I mean, now let's say he's fast and he's powerful
and his strength on the court, you could that you
could see he's very splossive. And let's say before you
(05:33):
you had one of these things, not altogether. Now I
think they are more prepared to, you know, to build
a complete package of you know, all the things that
we were mentioning in one player and I think Carlos
has all of them. And I think also you managed
with Carlos to completely change what means the meaning of
(05:54):
a passing shot, because so many times watching his matches
in New York, you feel like his opponents in the
passing shot, but no, he just turns around, keeps chasing
them and manages to come back, which I think we
didn't have. You know, I'm fighting against this all the time.
You know, we're working a lot of times with the
passing shot, and it's one of the things that he
(06:16):
has to improve because there's a lot of times that
he continues important and that he should have wanted. So
we're working. I don't know. I mean, when he comes
to the net and the plays a passing shot, normally
no one else reaches it. But for some reason, that's
all the point. It's not over. He runs back and
may just like how how is that possible? Yeah? I mean,
(06:39):
let's say he's like he's very fast on the board,
and he's very fast on the net. Let's say he's
movie he's moving on the net is like a cat.
You know, he's moving like super fast, and that's all
that's why always when he when I see him going
to the net. It's like, I'm very calm, you know,
It's it's of the points he he wanted, so it's
(07:05):
one of the things that it's very nice from him. Okay,
let's switch quickly to maybe not feeling so calm with
you watch Carlos playing golf. You know, we're going to
talk about him, but for some reason we managed to do.
So how is it when you guys play golf and
the dynamics there? Yeah, yeah, I mean, let's say we
(07:25):
were very excited to play every week that that we can,
because it's not happening very often, but every time that
that weekend that we're very happy about it because it's
like a very calm moment for us. Um, he just
started playing golf and he you know, he loves golf
and he loves to go and try to to, uh
(07:47):
to get better. But yeah, the feeling is it's great.
We try to bet all the time, his handicap in mine,
and we try to make it very funny and we're
very competitive at the same time. But at least there
you are still away ahead and you've got time. Absolutely,
absolutely absolutely we tried to get it. We tried to
(08:07):
get it even even a tournament. Even on tournaments, before
to play the tournament, we tried to to get some
day to at least play nine and do a little
bit different than the normal day. Yeah cool, um. One
of the things I always discussed with my m precious guests,
it's how how is important for you to make the
(08:30):
transition between one incredibly successful career as yours was on
the tennis court and make it just as as good
in the second part of your life. When do you
think it's the ideal time to start preparing for for that,
like when you were on the tour, When did you
start thinking about what is it that I want to
do afterwards? And what helped you make the transition as
(08:52):
as good as you've managed to. For sure, the Academy
helps me to, let's say, stay calm at the beginning,
because after a long career that you could have when
you were playing, I think you need a little bit
count time, you know, to decide what's gonna be and
what you want to do in the future. But of course,
(09:15):
in my example, let's say that the academy, um, you know,
helps me to keep busy when I need it and
to stay calm when I needed because I live here
one of the corners of the of the academy. It's
a very common place to leave. And that's what I
needed when I when I finished, you know, I start
(09:36):
to play golf and I start to to do more,
let's say, other sports like paddle or bicycle or motorbike
that I love, uh And I think it just just
happened five years when you know, I take the decision
to to stop, and then five years later I take
(09:59):
that this is and too, you know, to make it
more seriously about coaching someone. In these five years, I
start here, you know, let's say, advising the players and
given tips and you know, stay here at the academy,
keep as I said, busy also at the office controlling
everything good. But you know, it was a time that
(10:21):
something inside me, uh like I told me that I
needed to travel a little bit and get into the
circuit again and you know, try to get some someone
to to make a good relationship as uh you know
tennis uh players and as a coach that I tell
(10:44):
you that it's not very easy because you you feel
very frustrated when you're on the chair coaching there and
that you can you can you can do nothing about it.
What is happening on the court. But yeah, I think
that academy was the key to me to you know,
to relieve all what I what I needed at the beginning,
(11:05):
and then you know, um give me everything the what
I need to to start again as a as a
real job. So the obvious question whether it's harder to
play or quote coach, absolutely coaching you knew with you
before before. My answer, it's incredible. When I when I
(11:29):
see my face on the TV, it's like I'm like
this watching the matter, but it's like I felt that
I'm I'm inside the court hitting the points. You know,
it's unbelievable. So but what do you do say when
Carlos finished at three am in New York. Okay, he's tired,
but he started so good in a physical way that
(11:50):
he's going to fall asleep in one hour. But I
couldn't fall atly because I was so excited. So in
your shoes, like, what on earth do you do? Like
you got go and run out Central Park for ten times?
Or wow? You know, after four years with Carlos, I
you know, let's say, I know what what what I need?
After after the matches. You know, at the beginning it
(12:12):
was so much worse. Now it's so much better because
I know it's gonna play more or less good and
he's going to compete. But at the same time, you know,
Use Open was absolutely crazy. All the matches that he
he had. You know, it was an amazing feeling, but
at the same time an amazing uh suffer time. So um,
(12:34):
You've managed to, obviously do the business tradition transition incredibly well.
How do you manage to stay in shape yourself these days?
Because we all approach a different way. We talked about
it a little bit before. What's your kind of days here?
The academy is very easy because I normally do what
(12:55):
Carlos does. Uh yeah, more or less, more or less
uh now in my way, not the same ways and
maybe not running that much. But I play tennis, I
do gym and uh you know, play golf, play paddle,
So it's very easy to stay and shape. And when
(13:15):
I travel, Uh, let's say, I have my routines. I
go like four or five times a week a team
and running a bit, and it's something that I like.
It's not that I need, it's something that I like.
And I like to play tennis. I like to you know,
keep working on the team and have my routines. Like
very seriously, Uh, I think I had it. I had
(13:38):
it to my life and it's very tough to take
it away. Yeah, we need it. It's our drag exactly exactly.
And just lastly on the academy, Um, is it something
you want to be always focused more just on the
professional part or any enthusiastic amateur that wants to improve
their game, it's it's it's good for them to come
(14:01):
as well. Or is it purely just for professionals. These
days now as we opened a little bit our ideas
the academy and people amateurs and the people that they
lost tennis, they can they can come here as a
group or maybe individual to start with, uh, you know,
work for a week or something like this. We make
(14:21):
a program like physically and tennis with one of the coaches. Uh. Yeah,
let's say before it was more competing and that just
people that they wanted to be a professionals they were
allowed to be here. But now it's quite more open
and uh, let's say people can come and enjoy you know,
(14:42):
staying staying close of the professionals and at the same
time to try to improve their levels. Yes, so if
anyone wants to be in shape as you and kind
of try to be close to Carlos game on the court,
any amateurs are welcome to days as well. Absolutely perfect,
no problem. Well come Carlos. I know how crazy busy
(15:02):
you are with everything going on Congress once again, of
everything that, thank you very much, Thank you and Carlos,
and yeah, hopefully I hope to see you very very soon,
either on a golf course or somewhere. It will, it will,
for sure, it will, for sure, I'll see the tournament
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