By Shrivathsa Sridhar
MELBOURNE, Jan 16 (Reuters) – Carlos Alcaraz said winning the Australian Open to complete the career Grand Slam was the main goal of a season in which Juan Carlos Ferrero is not by his side as head coach for the first time since he turned professional at 15.
The world number one split with Ferrero last month, abruptly ending a seven-year partnership that delivered 24 titles including six Grand Slam crowns.
The 22-year-old would eclipse Don Budge as the youngest man to achieve the career Grand Slam by winning at Melbourne Park and the Spaniard said he was happy with his preparations and hungry for success.
“I think this my main goal for this year. It’s the first tournament, the main goal,” Alcaraz told reporters on Friday.
“So it’s going to be really interesting for me how I have prepared … I think I just made a really good pre-season, just to be in a good shape.”
Alcaraz has played only an exhibition match against world number two Jannik Sinner in the lead-up to the Australian Open, which starts on Sunday, and he is keen to get his campaign started.
“I’m just hungry for the title, hungry to have a really good result here. I’m just getting ready as much as I can,” he added. “I’m really excited about the tournament begin.”
Alcaraz will be guided by coach Samuel Lopez in the absence of 2003 French Open winner Ferrero. He said there were no bad feelings following the split. “With Juan Carlos, we decided to do it. I’m just having plenty of confidence in the team that I have right now … the practices have gone really well. I’m feeling well,” he said. “So I’m just excited about the tournament and to begin with the team that I have right now. “I’m really grateful for the seven years I’ve had with Juan Carlos. I learned a lot. Probably thanks to him, I’m the player that I am right now. But internally we decided like this. “We closed this chapter in mutual. We’re both still friends, (we have a) good relationship.”
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
