No extra pressure on Alcaraz: Ferrero

There is nary added unit connected Carlos Alcaraz to triumph his 2nd Grand Slam rubric astatine the French Open, his manager Juan Carlos Ferrero said connected Sunday.

The satellite fig 1 volition commencement his archetypal Slam tourney since winning past year's US Open successful the adjacent 2 days, attempting to measurement into the absent Rafael Nadal's shoes by lifting the trophy.

Alcaraz volition play Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli successful the archetypal round.

"I deliberation of people (having) won a Grand Slam already, 19 years old, present 20, it's gonna assistance him to judge that helium tin marque it again," said Ferrero, who won the Roland Garros rubric 20 years ago.

"I deliberation it's each help, not much pressure. So that's what we believe, and I deliberation we are prepared to marque a large tournament.

"Of people everybody tin suffer successful the archetypal round, you don't person a clue.

"But I deliberation we (have) played a precise bully clay play astatine the moment, and this is the past one, truthful we are gonna effort to springiness our champion to marque the champion tourney imaginable with nary pressure."

Alcaraz, the youngest antheral to ever scope the apical of the satellite rankings, has successfully defended the Barcelona and Madrid Open titles successful the clay-court season.

The 20-year-old Spaniard, who mislaid successful the quarter-finals astatine the French Open to Alexander Zverev past year, faces a tricky way to a imaginable semi-final against Novak Djokovic.

He could look in-form youngster Lorenzo Musetti successful the past 16, portion 2021 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas is simply a imaginable quarter-final opponent.

Ferrero thinks that Alcaraz is amended equipped to spell each the mode than helium was 12 months ago.

"As a person, I would accidental he's much mature," helium said.

"I would accidental he's amended than past year. I deliberation helium has much experience.

"The acquisition that he's won the US Open and, surviving the acquisition connected the tribunal that helium did, I deliberation makes him turn faster than possibly different people, truthful decidedly he's a amended player."

Alcaraz has reclaimed the satellite fig 1 ranking from Djokovic contempt missing the Australian Open astatine the commencement of the twelvemonth with a limb wounded suffered successful training.