Carlos Alcaraz received a telling off by his coach in his formative years (Image: Getty)
Carlos Alcaraz was almost reduced to tears by his former coach Kiko Navarro following an early departure from a youth tournament. It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the Spaniard on route to winning four Grand Slam titles and reaching an final aged just 21.
Navarro played a significant role in shaping into a champion from a young age. However, their relationship wasn’t always smooth. Navarro recalled a time when he was furious with a 13-year-old Alcaraz after the under-14 Memorial Giuseppe Cassani tournament in Pavia, Italy.
Speaking to , he explained: “It was my biggest telling off with him. I always joke that if there had been a camera on the train, his father might have fired me when I got back to Murcia. Later, I regretted it because I am a very close and affectionate person. Especially with him.
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“But I think it’s very good to be demanding and affectionate and close afterwards. Especially in a world like this. It might seem like I’m very tough, but I’m not.”
Alcaraz had defeated Enrico Wood in the first round of the tournament 6-0, 6-3, but lost to Francesco Maestrelli in the second round, and while Navarro wasn’t overly concerned about the 6-2, 6-4 loss, he was infuriated by Alcaraz’s attitude going into the match. He explained: “On the first day, he played well and won.
“I knew from the level of kids there that Carlitos could do well. I’m a born winner. Once I’m in a tournament, I want to win it, no matter how uncomfortable it is. Or at least give it my all. He wasn’t obliged to win because he was Carlitos Alcaraz. Back then, he was still nobody. But he was obliged to give it his all.”
Kiko Navarro was Carlos Alcaraz’s coach in his youth (Image: @kiko_navarro_85/Instagram)
He added: “In the warm-up at 8am, I didn’t see him badly off, but once the match started, exactly what I always told him happened, ‘If you’re obliged to do anything, it’s to give your all on the court’. There was no intensity whatsoever, and he lost. I was very angry.
“Apart from the fact that it was possibly one of the times that I have gotten the angriest with him, I think it got to him because the conversation was focused on the fact that there were a lot of people behind him who were making an effort.
“Starting with me, the sponsor (postres Reina) and his family. To go to such a faraway place and not give your all? That couldn’t be allowed. I told him, ‘We’re staying in Murcia; there are a lot of tournaments nearby and in the surrounding provinces. We’re not going to waste our time.”
The tough love approach seemed to have a profound effect on Alcaraz, leaving him “head down” and “almost in tears” unable to defend his lacklustre performance. Now, years later in 2025, under the guidance of Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz has become a sensation in the tennis world.
The young prodigy clinched his first major title at the 2022 , defeating Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 in a fiercely competitive match. Alcaraz then added the title to his trophy cabinet in 2023, before having an exceptional season in 2024 where he successfully defended his All England Club title and also bagged a .
Alcaraz also secured a silver medal at the representing Spain, narrowly losing out on gold to in the competition’s grand final. The tennis star will be aiming to seize the title as January draws to a close – the only Grand Slam that has eluded him so far.