There is a famous saying, “Behind every fearless player is a fearless coach who refused to let them be anything but the best they could be.” Someone who refused to give up on their abilities. In the tennis world, there are plenty of examples of such coaches. Be it the contributions of Nick Bolleteri in the rise of players like Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, and Monica Seles, or be it Rick Macci’s efforts to give the Williams sisters the push they needed in their early stages. In the current generation, the 21-year-old lad from El Palmar, Murcia, Carlos Alcaraz, has slowly transitioned from a rising star to being a superstar in the tennis world. From being the youngest player to win multiple ATP Masters 1000 titles and also the youngest year-end number one, Alcaraz is now a fourth-time Grand Slam champion. There are several people who have contributed to his rapid rise. One among them is his childhood coach, Carlos Santos. Has Santos gotten the recognition he deserves?
Carlos Santos was the first coach of Alcaraz from the age of 5 to 12. In 2024, while highlighting his brilliance on the Parisian clay, Santos also recalled his memories from his early meeting with Carlos Alcaraz. He said, “He (Carlos Alcaraz) was a short, pale boy, very skinny and very skilled. But he is a reflection of what he was, he attracted a lot of attention everywhere we went. Being the smallest, he won in higher categories.” Recently, the coach came up with a tell-all book titled ‘Alcaraz: The Forging of the Champion‘, and in that book, he shared some jaw-dropping details about what really went wrong in his partnership with Carlitos.
He spoke about how dedicated he was to Carlitos in order to improve his physical preparation, nutrition, traveling with him, studying with him, etc. So, their bonding wasn’t just confined to the courts. But when it comes to celebrating his achievements, fans often highlight the contributions of his current coaches, rather than taking a look back at those people who introduced him to the big stage. So, in terms of recognition, does Santos think the team has given him his rightful place? In an interview with Punto de Break, he said, “No, I don’t think so. I explain this topic well in the book, I explain the real reason why I stopped coaching Carlitos.“
He further added, “His father didn’t take this very well, and from then on, our relationship cooled off a bit […] Over the years, he recovered, but since the book, we’ve become estranged again. I don’t know, I think I should be in a different position. In the end, I’ve done everything I could for that kid, to the point of changing my personal and professional situation.” Then there was a time when he was forced to leave the team. Does he regret the decision to leave Carlos Alcaraz’s team to take up an offer from the school?
“On the contrary, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s obvious, just look at the position Carlitos is in. I haven’t had a single nightmare about it.” Carlos Santos claims he is the man who turned Alcaraz’s stellar drop shots and impeccable forehand into his lethal weapons following their multiple practice sessions since a very early age.
How is his current relationship with the Spanish superstar, though? In reply to this, he said, “A cordial relationship. If I had seen him today, I would have said hello, just like if we met at the club. We used to connect more via WhatsApp; I’d text him and he’d reply, I’d congratulate him after a tournament… but that’s gone now. We have a good relationship; I have nothing against him.” What does he do now? Does he intend to create yet another Carlitos?
Well, Santos gently shook his head, saying that’s is “very difficult” and at the moment, he enjoys being the physical education teacher at a school. However, having said that, he hasn’t ruled out the chances of coaching a good player yet again. Will we ever see Carlos Alcaraz reach the levels of the Big 3? According to his childhood coach, he has enormous potential, and if he sets his mind to it and truly that ambition and motivation, he can achieve it. Amidst all these, Alcaraz is next scheduled to appear at the Italian Open. But is he fit, though?
The tennis world is optimistic about his participation in the upcoming events after seeing recent visuals surrounding Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz was last seen in action at the Barcelona Open, where he went down to Holger Rune in the final by 6(6)-7,2-6. However, more than the defeat, his concerns surrounding his left hamstring raised a few doubts in the minds of his fans about his participation in the upcoming events.
Later on, he pulled out his name from the Madrid Open, saying, “I’m really disappointed that I’m not able to play here in Madrid..It was a really difficult situation, really difficult to decide, not [being] able to play. I think it is what it is. Tennis is really a demanding sport. Playing week after week, so many matches in a row and you have to heal your body sometimes and take difficult decisions. I will come back stronger.“
Although he shared his intentions to participate in the Italian Open, saying he’d do everything to get himself 100% fit for Rome, with just days to kick-start action at the Italian Open, fans widely expected him to miss the tournament. But as per the latest visuals that have been emerging from his camp, Carlos Alcaraz was spotted practicing alongside his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero. This has now raised a new set of hopes about his participation in the next two clay-court events.
Interestingly, Alexander Zverev, the defending champion in Rome, will be defending 1000 ranking points here, and he must defend his title to hold on to his second spot. If Alcaraz wins a few matches here, then he’d have a great chance of overtaking the German. Suppose Carlos Alcaraz overtakes Zverev, then there will be a chance of Alcaraz vs Sinner in the French Open final. Else, there could of a possible clash of these two in the SF of Roland Garro. Do you think Alcaraz can defend his French Open title this time?
The post “Done Everything I Could”- Carlos Alcaraz’s Estranged Mentor Reflects on a Career That Deserved More Credit appeared first on EssentiallySports.