It’s been an odd season for Carlos Alcaraz, which feels surprising given how well it began.
Despite skipping the usual build-up events, he still managed to win the Australian Open and complete a career Grand Slam faster than anyone before him.
He followed that up by picking up another trophy in Qatar, leading some to wonder just how long he could stay unbeaten.
But those questions faded quickly once he hit America. The Sunshine Swing didn’t go his way, and things didn’t improve once the tour moved over to clay.
And since then, things haven’t improved. The switch to clay came with a wrist injury that’s put his whole season in doubt.
Despite everything that’s happened since then, Adriano Panatta believes Alcaraz’s split from Juan Carlos Ferrero is still his biggest problem.
A former French Open winner, Panatta told We Love Tennis: “In my opinion, he made a mistake leaving Ferrero.”
Panatta explained that the split meant losing not just a demanding coach, but also someone with deep knowledge of the sport.
He went on: “At 21 or 22, with all the trophies he’d won, Carlos became more ambitious, and he made an error. I would be happy for him if he went back to Ferrero.
“The relationship between coach and player is visceral: coaches dedicate their lives to the players they coach and follow every single day, sacrificing their families.
“A coach must first and foremost understand tennis and have no gaps in their knowledge. He shouldn’t be a parent or a confessor, but he must be able to help you reach that next level of quality, depending on your age.
“If you stay with a father figure as a coach your whole career, there’s a risk the relationship will deteriorate.”
Brad Gilbert has given his thoughts on how long Alcaraz might be out, and the player himself has now shared a timeline that puts his French Open participation in question.
With Madrid and Rome already off the table, Alcaraz made it clear he won’t risk further injury, even for a Grand Slam appearance.
He explained: “As I’ve said, we have a very long career ahead of us, many years of good tennis. Pushing myself at this Roland Garros could really harm me for future tournaments, so we’ll see how the test goes; that’s what we’re focusing on.
“I’d rather come back a little later and come back fit than come back a little sooner and come back injured. You have to look after yourself because a tennis player’s career can be very long.”
This means we might not see Alcaraz again until the grass-court season begins.
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