Juan Carlos Ferrero gambled on his teenage charge years ago and now Alcaraz will try to defend his Wimbledon title for the first time
WIMBLEDON — Gambling in tennis is a strangely taboo subject. Players, coaches, physios and the like are not allowed to place bets, yet the concept of gambling is at the centre of the whole sport.
Juan Carlos Ferrero does not present as a big gambler – as a player, his game was more about perseverance that high-risk ball-striking – but when he sawof the now three-time grand slam champion, who begins his title defence on Monday against Mark Lajal of Estonia.“He took a really important decision when Carlitos was really young and I think, right now, he was right.”.
He was not the only one. Lloyd Harris, the South African former US Open quarter-finalist, spent time at Ferrero’s academy training and hitting with Alcaraz in the same year. “It’s always better when you have a mix it’s possible, like the youth competing with the the all-time greats. There are few more robust than Alcaraz, but that too has taken time. In the French Open semi-final last year, his body convulsed with cramp during a tense, physical encounter with Djokovic that he lost due to the problems. He won the Roland Garros title this time around – albeit not having to beat Djokovic – but he does seem to be improving all the time.
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