So, Carlos Alcaraz had a chat with his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, after his semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic at the Nitto ATP Finals. They were just chilling on the floor at the press conference, talking about how the year went. Alcaraz was like, ‘Man, it’s been a crazy year. I got 2000 more points than last year, even though I played one less Grand Slam. It’s been wild, I’ve had some epic matches, and I’ve learned how to handle the pressure and tough times.’ And Ferrero was like, ‘Yeah, it’s been pretty awesome. Winning Wimbledon was a big surprise, and picking up those extra points without playing in the Australian Open shows how hard he’s worked at every tournament.’
But then, they both agreed that the end of the year was a bit rough. After Alcaraz lost in the US Open semi-final, he found it hard to keep up the same level. He admitted, ‘I need to learn that the tennis season doesn’t end in the middle of the year. I’ve got a lot to work on, and that’s one of them.’ Ferrero added, ‘Yeah, after the US Open, we kind of dropped the ball. We need to be more professional all the time and focus on improving his game and mindset. It’s normal for a 20-year-old, and he’s got to mature in that area.’
So, Alcaraz finished the year with six titles, including Wimbledon and the ATP Masters 1000s in Indian Wells and Madrid. He played 77 matches and had a 65-12 record, but he wished he could’ve played more. He said, ‘I don’t think that’s a lot. I’ve played fewer tournaments, but I’ve had a lot of matches. It’s a good stat, but I wanted to finish with more matches at the end of the season.’ Ferrero agreed, saying, ‘He’s played the least throughout the year, and that’s tough. But he’s still young, and he’s making progress in his game and maturity. He’s only 20, so he’s got to keep improving.’