And to think, there were those who thought that Alcaraz may struggle in the aftermath of his acrimonious split from coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
The magician of Murcia was electrifying in his Aussie Open quarterfinal win over Alex de Mianur, defying sentiment to blow the hometown hero away 7-5, 6-2, 6-1. Try as he might, the Australian Energizer Bunny just couldn’t live with Alcaraz’s sheer breath of shot-making. The victory took Alcaraz into his maiden Aussie Open semifinal, taking him one step closer to becoming the youngest man to ever complete the Career Grand Slam.
Backroom drama
I think it’s impossible to talk about Alcaraz without mentioning the Juan Carlos Ferrero saga. His decision to part ways with the Ferrero- who had helped guide him to such incredible success- blindsided the entire tennis community. Ferrero helped mold Alcaraz into the tennis demigod that he is, nurturing and developing his all-court abilities. There has been plenty of speculation as to the reason behind the split, with insiders citing stalled contract negotiations and internal upheaval in the Alcaraz camp. Ferrero’s reputation as a hard taskmaster seemed to rub some members of the Alcaraz camp the wrong way (namely his father and agent). The family angle was lent added credence when Alcaraz publicly earmarked brother Alvaro for a more prominent role in his coaching system (almost feels like one final nepotistic blow for the departing Ferrero).
Ferrero finds solace outside the tennis court
Ferrero has publicly stated that it has been hard to watch Alcaraz competing in this year’s tournament, making special mention of the pain of seeing his entourage. Ferrero’s heartbreak has been so great that he has decided to switch sporting codes, teaming up with up-and-coming Spanish golfing wunderkind Angel Ayora for the upcoming year. Ferrero has alluded to the fact that golf- like tennis- is an individual sport that puts intense scrutiny on your mental strength. Let’s hope that he can work through this ‘break-up’ as quickly as possible. Because the last thing that Ayora needs is an emotionally wrecked coach looking to shore up his mental strength (feels like a rebound of note).
Alcaraz beyond traditional coaching
I really think that coaching is more decorative when you get to Alcaraz’s level. Sure, you can work on small mechanical things (look at the way that Alcaraz has evolved on serve these past 18 months). But those are the sort of technical changes that can be achieved through specialists. Does he need an overarching ‘mentor’ at this point in his career? It doesn’t appear so. Alcaraz will continue with Samuel Lopez as his de facto head coach. But that collaboration isn’t thought of as a long-term replacement for Ferrero. I think that Alcaraz will look to plough ahead with his close network of familial connections.
Alcaraz exorcises ‘Speed Demon’
Alcaraz is currently playing better than he has ever played in Melbourne, reaching his maiden Aussie Open semifinal with that demolition over de Minaur. He looked a little edgy in that first set, as the rambunctious Aussie crowd pushed their man to greater heights. But he eventually wrestled the initiative and would close out the set 7-5. Alcaraz went into beast mode in those final two sets, dropping just three games against an increasingly desperate de Minaur.
Sidenote: where does de Minaur go from here? The Aussie has worked tirelessly on his game but appears to have maxed out his Grand Slam credit card. But I digress.
Minor alterations could prove key
Alcaraz has really worked on improving the elements that have previously held him back in this event. Generally considered the quickest of the Grand Slam stops, Melbourne hasn’t always been overly receptive to his outrageously heavy topspin. Alcaraz has mixed things up this year, flattening out some of his groundstrokes. He has also made considerable advances on his serve, winning close to 80% of his first-serve points throughout the tournament. That new serving technique has invited comparisons with Novak Djokovic, with the Serb jokingly stating that the Spaniard owes him royalties.
Revenge is in the air
Next up for Alcaraz is the man who dumped him out of last year’s Aussie Open: Alex Zverev. Zverev has shown some vulnerabilities this fortnight and Alcaraz will be relishing this chance for revenge. Alcaraz destroyed Zverev in their last meeting, seeing him off in straight sets on similarly speedy Cincy courts. Alcaraz looks like a man possessed as he aims to become the youngest ever man to complete the Career Slam. He has created little moments of history along the way, becoming the first person to reach 14 Grand Slam quarterfinals before the age of 23. He is also now the 2nd youngest player in history to have reached ten Grand Slam semifinals. What is there left for a coach to do?
