"Carlos Alcaraz is short tempered, weak" - Coach reveals when Spaniard 'lost his confidence' totally in 2025

Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero recently cast his mind back to a phase in 2025 where the 22-year-old Spanish tennis superstar lost confidence. According to Ferrero, when Alcaraz goes through such phases, he and the rest of the team talk to the World No. 1 and six-time Major champion more like friends than as coaches.

Speaking to the official website of the ATP Tour, Ferrero revisited Alcaraz's state of mind on the back of his title triumph at the 2025 ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam. Following his success in Rotterdam, the Spaniard suffered disappointments at the Qatar Open, Indian Wells Masters and Miami Open.

"Carlos had just won in Rotterdam, when he did great. But in Indian Wells and Miami he lost a little confidence. It was a tough time, not because of the defeat, but the way it happened. He was affected by the tournament and we had a chat when we got back," Ferrero said.

In Doha, Carlos Alcaraz was stunned by Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals. Next, at Indian Wells, eventual champion Jack Draper dashed his hopes in the last four. Arguably the most stinging defeat Alcaraz suffered during this juncture of the 2025 season came at the Miami Open, where veteran David Goffin produced a sensational display to stun the Spaniard in the second round of the Masters 1000 event.

Going on to speak about how he and the rest of Alcaraz's team communicate with the 22-year-old when he is 'short tempered or weak', Ferrero added:

"We talk to him a lot, but when you see that he’s short tempered or weak at some point of the season, we always talk a little more from a psychological point of view and as friends, more than as a coach."

Carlos Alcaraz laid bare how brief break after Miami Open 2025 setback helped him reset

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 Miami Open (Source: Getty)

During a post-match press conference following his title triumph at the 2025 Queen's Club Championships in the buildup to Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz recalled the negative emotions he went through in the aftermath of his shocking Miami Open exit. According to the Spaniard, a brief break in Cancun, Mexico with his family allowed him to rediscover the happiness he finds in tennis.

"Well, I had so much hate when I lost in Miami. Instead of practice after that, I took a break and I went to Cancun with my family. And I had too much hate then, because a lot of people, you know, start to say, like, 'What’s going on with this guy that he just lost in the first round, and he didn’t practice, he didn’t go to the court and keep practicing just to be better?'," Alcaraz said.

The Spaniard added:

"And I think that was the key, just to have five, six days off, not grabbing a racquet, not stepping on the court. Just go to vacation with my family, to turn off my mind, to think what should I have done better?"

Carlos Alcaraz won a tour-leading eight titles in 2025, which included the French Open and US Open titles. He also ended the year as the World No. 1, pipping rival Jannik Sinner to the top spot.