Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal could be key to unlocking Carlos Alcaraz’s full potential if they were to take up coaching roles, according to ex-World No. 10 Arnaud Clement.
With Andy Murray teaming up with Novak Djokovic after coming out of retirement, there has been speculation about Federer, who retired in 2022, and Nadal, who retired last month, possibly becoming mentors.
Alcaraz is currently coached by Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has been guiding him since he was 15, and has recently added Samuel Lopez to his team for the 2025 season.
However, Clement believes that the 21 year old could greatly benefit from the expertise of either Federer or Nadal, should such a scenario become a reality.
“Alcaraz knows how to do everything: his problem is knowing what to do when,” Clement told Eurosport when asked about how Federer and Nadal could potentially help Alcaraz.
“Both Nadal and Federer could obviously help him in that respect. Sometimes, it’s very clear in his head, and he’s the epitome of accuracy, but at other times, he makes mistakes.
“And that often coincides with a lack of freshness. There’s work to be done on the programming in terms of exhibitions, for example. It depends on what he wants: to win as many Grand Slams as possible? He’s off to a pretty good start, but it’s a long-term process.”
Alcaraz has heaped praise on the sport’s legendary figures, especially his fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal.
As he and Jannik Sinner lead the charge into a new era, Alcaraz acknowledged the impact of the ‘Big Three’, saying: “For us young players coming up, who have many years ahead of us, we’ve been lucky to see the era of Rafa, Federer and Djokovic, although [Novak] is still playing… that battle between those three gladiators, players who aren’t from this planet.”
He expressed the pressure of living up to their legacy: “In a way, if those of us who are here, the young players, and those coming up behind him cannot reach that level, it will be seen as frustrating or disappointing for the world of tennis.”
Alcaraz also shared his personal experiences with Nadal: “I’m lucky to be close to him, to have played doubles with him, to have practised with him, to have shared a Davis Cup team with him and the locker room in singles tournaments.”
Reflecting on his own journey, he added: “Not as much as I would have liked – I wish I’d arrived on tour earlier. We’ll see at the end of my career, but if it’s half of what he’s done, I’ll be more than happy.”
