Carlos Alcaraz’s former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero defended Alexander Zverev against criticism of his Grand Slam and top-ranking achievements, arguing that the German deserves credit for his performances
Zverev has clinched the ATP Year-End No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career, enjoying a successful season in which he won his first two Grand Slam singles titles. He claimed his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open, defeating Flavio Cobolli in the final on June 7. He followed that triumph with a U.S. Open title, beating Ben Shelton in the final on Sept. 13. Zverev also reached the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Jannik Sinner on July 12.
Despite the achievements, some critics have questioned the significance of Zverev’s victories, arguing that injuries to Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz affected the competition. Speaking to AS on Friday, Ferrero pushed back against that criticism and urged people to recognize the German’s hard work.
“He trains incredibly hard, he’s very professional and he did everything he could to achieve this. That’s why saying today that he won because others were absent is irrelevant. You never know when injuries will strike. If you win a tournament while one of your opponents is injured, I don’t think you should take that away from him. Besides, he’s a player who faced them on equal terms. He’s not a player they consistently beat soundly,” Ferrero said.
He added:
“I’m happy for him because I think he’s a player who truly deserved it. He’s always been so close. Even at the 2020 U.S. Open, against Dominic Thiem, a golden opportunity slipped through his fingers.”
Alexander Zverev is set to become world No. 1 for the first time on Nov. 2, making him the first German man to finish a season at No. 1 in ATP history. At 29 years old, he has become the oldest first-time year-end No. 1 in ATP rankings history.
Juan Carlos Ferrero opens up about his relationship with Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev and Juan Carlos Ferrero worked together for eight months, from July 2017 to February 2018. During their partnership, Zverev won the 2017 Canadian Open, a Masters 1000 title, before the two ended their coaching relationship. After the split, the coach criticized the German’s lack of work ethic, stating that he struggled to maintain focus due to social media use. However, in his conversation with AS, he said the disagreement did not damage their relationship in the long term. When asked about his current relationship with Zverev, the former coach explained that they had maintained a positive connection despite their separation.
“In the end, it was a matter of us not understanding professionalism in the same way. He understood it one way because of his background, his customs, and his personality, and I understood it another. We decided not to continue, and that was that. I’ve always gotten along very well with him since. This year, for example, when he won at Roland Garros, I wrote to him. During all the tournaments and matches Carlos has played against him, there’s never been a problem,” Ferrero said.
Alexander Zverev’s most recent appearance came at the Shanghai Masters, where he lost to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semifinals on Saturday.
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