Carlos Alcaraz will want to keep up his impressive form this season when he heads back to Indian Wells, a tournament where he’s already won twice.
Both of those wins were memorable in their own right, but there seems to be something different about him this time.
He looks sharper, more focused, and ruthless than ever. The start of this year has shown it too – winning titles in both tournaments he’s played so far.
But it still seems like the 22-year-old is getting used to life without his former long-time coach.
Carlos Alcaraz on life without Juan Carlos Ferrero
Speaking to Eurosport ahead of his return to the BNP Paribas Open, Alcaraz addressed questions about Ferrero once more.
He admitted that things are different but made it clear he feels confident in the team he now has around him.
Alcaraz said: “I would say it is what it is. Obviously, I wouldn’t say it’s a new team. It’s mostly the same members; we just restructured a little bit. The members are the same as before; we’re just missing one.
“Every time I come back to a tournament I played last year, it feels a little bit different. You can feel it a bit, but we try to feel as comfortable as possible on and off the court.”
Ferrero recently said he wanted to meet with Alcaraz, suggesting that even though they’ve moved on professionally, there’s still some connection between them.
Carlos Alcaraz is thriving without Juan Carlos Ferrero
While Alcaraz will likely attribute much of the success of his career so far to Ferrero, what he’s achieved since their split has been outstanding.
In fact, it could be argued that he has ascended to another level, putting himself above even Jannik Sinner, his great rival, of late.
He may have only played two tournaments in 2026, but have won both with relative ease. And, in claiming the first, Alcaraz became the youngest man ever to complete the career Grand Slam.
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