“Carlos Alcaraz is like Rafael Nadal,” Toni Nadal once said.  Nadal’s uncle had been a believer in Alcaraz long before the young Spaniard lifted his first Australian Open trophy on Sunday. And Toni isn’t the only one impressed, former Spanish star David Ferrer has also joined the growing list of admirers.

Before Alcaraz took down Novak Djokovic to become the youngest man to win a career Grand Slam, Ferrer shared a story with SER Deportivos Valencia about the first time he saw that talent up close. He still remembers being stunned while training with the teenager.

“When he was 14, I was already top 10 and Juan Carlos Ferrero told me: Hey, I’ve signed a player from Murcia and he’s unbelievably good. I said: I’m in Jávea, bring him over to Jávea and let him train with me,” said the former world No. 3, as he recalled that first meeting.

Ferrer said he didn’t take that first practice lightly at all: “I was very demanding with my training sessions, and I said, don’t waste my time — he’s 14 years old and I want proper practice, I’m in preseason.”

That’s when Carlos Alcaraz’s former coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, told him to trust the kid. And when Ferrer finally did, he admitted, “I was left speechless.” Why?

He remembered pushing Carlos Alcaraz hard right from the warm-up. Normally, when a pro starts hitting heavy shots, a young player struggles to keep up. But not Alcaraz. “He returns the first one, the second one too, and on the third he accelerates it,” Ferrer said, clearly amazed by what he saw from the teenager.

“It just blows your mind,” he added. “He was like Rafa as a kid. Fourteen years old. We played a super tiebreak and I won 10-8.” Then Ferrer laughed and said maybe he didn’t really win on merit. “But I think he let me win because…I swear he was very close to beating me. I think out of respect, because… he’s like Rafa but from a different background.”

For Ferrer, it wasn’t just about the tennis. He also admired the way Carlos Alcaraz carried himself. “Rafa is Mallorcan, he’s from Murcia. But he’s an incredible guy — not just as a tennis player, but as a person. Very normal, very natural. Always smiling. Very approachable.”

Back then, Ferrer was nearing the end of his career, in the twilight of his time on the ATP Tour. He eventually retired in 2019 after losing to Alexander Zverev at the Madrid Open. Almost a year later, Alcaraz stepped onto the ATP stage for the first time at the 2020 Rio Open, just getting started on his own journey.

And now the world No. 1 has already kicked off the year with a huge Australian Open title, beating a 22-time Grand Slam champion.

But if you think about everything Ferrer said, it all traces back to Juan Carlos Ferrero, the coach who believed in Alcaraz from the beginning and brought him along.

After their seven-year partnership ended last year, many experts questioned the timing and the reasons behind the split, with former French Open finalist Guy Forget even calling one popular theory “ridiculous.” So what was Alcaraz’s response to that?

Carlos Alcaraz admits the noise gets to him

During the post-match press conference, Alcaraz was asked if he felt extra motivation to prove he could win a major without Juan Carlos Ferrero by his side. He brushed off the idea. He said he wasn’t thinking about the doubters at all. He plays for himself and his team, and he added that it felt good to show people they were wrong.

Later, in an interview with El Mundo, he spoke more honestly about how words affect him. “As time goes by, I’ve become more aware of the power of words,” he said. “Both a kind word and a harsh word can change a person’s mood. That’s why I always try to be very careful with what I say and how I say it. Some of the negative things I read or heard affected me; I even had a few doubts.”

Still, it wasn’t all bad. The Spanish champion said the positive comments meant a lot and filled him with pride. They made him happy, and he pointed out that there were far more good things than bad.

On the court, though, he gave the clearest answer of all. “I think nobody knows how hard I have been working to get this trophy. I chased this moment so much,” Alcaraz said. He called the preseason an emotional rollercoaster and thanked his team for pushing him every day.

So now, with Samuel López leading his coaching setup, Carlos Alcaraz looked both relieved and energized, crediting the people around him for helping him through the transition and guiding him to this big win.