Carlos Alcaraz is now closer to where he wants to be: ‘He’s a chameleon, he can do anything’

Long ago, Carlos Alcaraz used to watch his idols on television, hence the happy face of the boy who, three days earlier, was handing out lemonade from a cart in the area reserved for players and their teams. The organizers had granted him the honor of opening the English-language part of the press conference. The Spaniard, once again world number one after dispatching Jannik Sinner with a true masterclass, answers with the instincts of an adult despite being only 22 years old. Four years ago, he was crowned champion for the first time in New York. He’s changed, but not that much. The champion places himself in those innocent shoes: “Before you ask me, I want to tell you that I was sooooo good.”

Alcaraz arrived almost an hour late, having had to attend to various commitments. He’s happy, exhilarated, fulfilled. He’s having fun. He’s savoring it. Unlike on other occasions, when either the tournament winner or he himself usually arrives at the press conference exhausted, the result of decompression, this time he looks in top form. “I’ll probably celebrate with the lemonade, eh?” he jokes before beginning to review what these past few days have been like, during which he has put on an exhibition of style and control. At first, his superiority was associated with the level of his early opponents; however, when it came down to it, when it was time, he uncorked the champagne.

“Without a doubt, I’d say this has been my best tournament from start to finish. The best,” he declared. And he’s probably right. In terms of consistency, nothing compares. He dropped just one set, against Sinner, and demolished the totemic Novak Djokovic with the skill that this event demanded as a prelude to the final. The rest was little more than a walkover. Exactly what the situation demanded. Because despite his youth, Alcaraz continues to grow and learning to perform. He’s never been so focused, nor has Juan Carlos Ferrero been so generous in his praise for his player: “It’s great when you make your coach feel that way. It’s not easy…”

And that was the case. Ferrero, a tough character, repeats his assessment a couple of times: “We prepared the match very well, watching some previous matches and analyzing specific details. And he gave 100 percent, which is easy to say, but very difficult to do. The performance was perfect. He went for the match the entire time and tried to put pressure on before Jannik did, and that’s one of the keys. I’d say it was perfect,” said Ferrero, who also praised his player’s “variety,” that wealth of shots that is unparalleled in today’s game: “He can slice, come to the net, and do more things than Jannik, and that helps change the dynamic,” Ferrero added.

“I still don’t feel I’m in my prime”

Indeed, Alcaraz can do it all. A versatile competitor, he thrives as always in the offensive phase, but he’s also learned to show off other layers, the necessary ones required for a long-term goal like his: to be the best in history. He attacks like he always has, defends like never before, and serves sublimely. He impresses even his own team. “The incredibly good thing about Carlos is that he’s a chameleon: you can ask anything of him in a match, he adapts, and in the end he achieves it,” Ferrero says. “And we also reflect that day after day in training. After Wimbledon, we asked him to do certain new things to prepare for the upcoming matches against Jannik, and in just 10 days he improved considerably.”

Ferrero still sees room for improvement, and the number one himself expresses dissatisfaction, determination, and even more hunger. Apparently, the six major titles he has won are not enough for him, and he plans to make a much greater mark on history. To achieve this, he says, he repeatedly uses the word “improve,” clarifying: “Now that it’s so fashionable to talk about one’s prime, I still don’t feel I’m in my prime. I feel like I’m at my best now, but I can still improve. At just 22 years old, it’s difficult to have offered the best version of yourself. I haven’t reached 100 percent, and I’m working toward that. As the years go by, I’ll improve. The best Carlos hasn’t come yet.”

The champion rewinds and recalls that three years ago, when he won his first trophy in New York, his first major, he felt that in the quarterfinal match against Sinner he was “physically at the limit the whole time.” On this occasion, however, it was the Italian who was struggling to stay in the match, having just moments earlier reproached himself for being “too predictable,” with exactly the same nonconformist spirit that drives Alcaraz. “I wouldn’t say he’s predictable, but I know his style. I know what he’s going to do and what his weapons are, but even though he may seem predictable, it’s very difficult to maintain the level and play long rallies against him.”

Alcaraz also embraces the amalgamation of resources his coach praises and boils it down to, quite simply, his style: “Honestly, I feel like I can do everything on the court: shots from the side, spin, flat shots... And I also have a lot of confidence in my physical condition; I feel like I can reach every ball, which gives me the confidence and security to score good points and be able to play with variety. So, since I was very, very young, I’ve had the feeling I can do it all,” he says sincerely before closing with reference to Ferrero’s verdict: “Yes, he’s right. It was perfect. I played perfectly, so it has to be said... [laughs].”

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition