Carlos Alcaraz and training with Roger Federer: “It was incredible” | ATP Tour

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Alcaraz and training with Federer: “It was incredible”

The Spaniard defeated Nicolás Jarry in his debut in Paris-Bercy

October 29, 2024

It is played in Paris, but sometimes the head is still in Shanghai.

Carlos Alcaraz surpassed his debut at the Rolex Paris Masters this Tuesday by beating Nicolás Jarry, but after beating the Chilean he traveled to the Chinese city to remember a moment that will take time to forget: a training session with Roger Federer himself.

“It was an incredible experience, I really enjoyed every shot and it was a dream to see how easy he still is to play,” explained Alcaraz about his meeting with Federer in Paris this Tuesday night. “We talked a lot and I asked him several things about the game. Honestly, he gave me a master class.”

Alcaraz and Federer met for the first time in 2019, at Wimbledon. Then, the champion of 20 Grand Slam titles accepted that the young man from Murcia, already trained by Juan Carlos Ferrero, trained with him.

They would not meet again until this year, in September, during the Laver Cup. There they had time to talk, with Federer present in the stands at most of Alcaraz’s matches with Team Europa.

In Shanghai, however, both shared a training session of just over half an hour, once Alcaraz was eliminated (he lost in the quarterfinals against Tomas Machac).

On one of the covered courts in Shanghai, Alcaraz and Federer exchanged blows and the young Spaniard was able to admire the quality of the Swiss, as well as appreciate his advice and the time the two spent with the racket in hand.

Alcaraz will face the winner of the match between Uno Humbert and Marcos Giron in the next round.

“Very happy with the level I have shown today,” said the Murcian after beating Jarry. “I played at a high level in the first set and then it got a little complicated, but I am very happy to have got it through in the end. I have been picking up the pace of the track, the speed, and I hope to get better and better on these tracks.”