Silly question, but does a coach change player the way you change kot (student digs)? I read the We Love Tennis article on the 7:32 train, between Ottignies and Brussels, and I needed two stops to understand all of it.
Juan Carlos Ferrero was world number 1. He won Roland-Garros in 2003. Then he coached Carlos Alcaraz, and that partnership ended unexpectedly last December, according to We Love Tennis. Now he has a book out in Spain, “Mentalidad ganadora”, “Winner’s Mentality”, and he feels ready again to coach on the ATP tour.
In the Punto de Break interview, he brought up Jannik Sinner’s team. And he added: “If I joined Jannik Sinner’s team, it wouldn’t be to annoy Carlos. People have to respect my decision.” What I take from it: in tennis, you can go to the rival of your former player, but you have to say in advance that you’re not doing it on purpose. In football, I get the impression you sign and kiss the shirt. Here you give notice. It’s polite. I wrote it in my notebook.
There’s a second name. On Cadena SER, he talked about Rafael Jodar, world number 13 at 20, whom We Love Tennis presents as the new phenomenon. He said: “I’m not closing the door. He has enormous potential, he’s very motivated, he’s young, he wants to conquer the world and if an offer comes, I would consider it.”
So coaches wait for offers, like for an internship. That I know. I asked the newsroom who makes the offer first, the player or the coach. I checked, and actually nobody knows.
At the club, it’s always the player who asks. And it’s always the coach who has no slot on Tuesday.
He wants to conquer the world, Jodar, at 20. Me, at 22, I want to understand the let. Anyway, I still have a lot to learn.
It’s true, we checked: We Love Tennis.
