Google News Coach on Carlos Alcaraz losing No1 to Novak Djokovic: Wants it but it's not obsession
by DZEVAD MESIC
Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero suggests Carlos Alcaraz's primary focus at this time will be to stay healthy and work on returning to his best tennis as soon as possible. Alcaraz, 19, suffered a leg injury in the offseason and he was forced to miss the Australian Open.
In the meantime, Alcaraz lost the world No 1 ranking to Novak Djokovic, who won the Australian Open. As Alcaraz is preparing to kick off his 2023 season at this week's ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires, Ferrero admitted Alcaraz thinks about the No 1 spot but underlined the 19-year-old is not obsessed about it.
"The goal of being No 1 is always in the mind but, naturally, it is not an obsession, because of his youth and because he has already been (there). Right now, what Carlos wants is to be healthy and be able to compete, he wants to show his best level and fight to win tournaments," Ferrero told Eurosport Spain.
Ferrero hopes Alcaraz stays healthy and finds his best tennis
Last year, Alcaraz wrote tennis history as he became the youngest No 1 in tennis history, as well as the youngest Year-End No 1. In Buenos Aires, Alcaraz admitted that becoming a Grand Slam champion and reaching the world No 1 at 19 positively surprised him.
Also, Alcaraz underlined that he now needs to keep putting in the hours in the gym and practice court. “I’m certain that I need to continue to improve. Achieving my dream very quickly caught me by surprise, so to speak.
Now I’m used to it, I have a goal, I know where I want to get to, what I want to be, and that is the most important thing," Alcaraz said, per the ATP website. In Buenos Aires, Alcaraz is the top-seeded player. After a first-round bye, Alcaraz will be taking on either Fabio Fognini or Laslo Djere in the round-of-16.