“Before the match against Djokovic, Juan Carlos took an aside and asked me: ‘Did you think this was going to happen so soon? Who tells this is Antonio Martínez Cascales, discoverer and technician of Ferrero as well as founder of the Equelite Academy where Carlos Alcaraz trains. Toni experienced the intense week of the Madrid Open alongside the Murcian. And he has been essential, in the shadows, for the training of the tennis player since he arrived in Villena at the age of 14.
“He has surprised us relatively. He came from triumphing in Rio, Miami and El Godó, but this time he has had to beat Nadal, Djokovic and Zverev and that is not easy at all. It is surprising how he, as the demands are increasing, raises the level of his tennis. But I’ve been saying for a while that if we hadn’t been caught by the pandemic, in which he lost a lot of tournament invites, he would have exploded sooner.”reflects the coach.
The preview of the final against Zverev was not easy. It was necessary to anesthetize the toe in which he had an infected blister and infiltrate Carlos’ right ankle. But against the German (6-3 and 6-1) it was the easiest game. The key is that Alcaraz has a good time on the track. “He enjoys it more than most players. He likes tennis. And it hasn’t cost him to give up other things, because work becomes easier when you like it”corroborates Martínez Cascales.
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Alcaraz, at the Zielou restaurant in Madrid, where he celebrated his victory in Madrid.
Zielou
After lifting the trophy, there was dinner and lots of joy at the Zielou restaurant. The champion returned to Murcia on Monday to rest and on Thursday he plans to return to the Academy to train to travel to Roland Garros on the 19th.
In El Palmar, where his father (also named Carlos, like his grandfather) directs the tennis section of the Club de Campo, you have to look for the forge of Carlitos’ personality. “That the father dedicates himself to modest tennis could have been negative. But it has not been like that. He directed his career until he was 14 years old, he appointed a coach (Carlos Santos) from his group and the family has been almost perfect in the sense of achieving an educated and grateful boy… Now, he finishes a training session and always thanks Juan Carlos or me if I’m on the track”relates Cascales, who reveals that when he arrived in Villena Ferrero was not going to take care of him: “But he loved his way of being, humility, passion… Many champion boys of the universe arrive here with parents totally out of reality.” It was not the case. There is the proof.