Carlos Alcaraz’s Netflix documentary threw up some interesting talking points, with the input from his manager Albert Molina proving be especially eye-catching.
Molina was depicted as the unforgiving leader of the Alcaraz team, as he expressed his disdain for the young Spaniard’s decision to go on holiday to Ibiza after he won the French Open last June.
Alcaraz provided the perfect answer to that criticism as he won Wimbledon a few weeks later, yet Molina suggested the sacrifices that need to be made to reach the top were not being observed by his young charge.
“I tried to explain to him that it might not be the best idea to go to Ibiza for three or four days on vacation when he had Queen’s the following week and then Wimbledon,” said Molina, who was also shown admonishing Alcaraz when he was late for an engagement with a sponsor.
“That day I got very angry with him, but not because of punctuality,” said Molina. “It bothered me not because of being late. For me, it was a lack of respect towards other people and that’s what I cannot tolerate with Carlos.
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“It doesn’t matter if you’re number one in the world, nobody has to wait for you, Carlos.”
Molina also outlined the sacrifices he is making to devote his life and career to helping Alcaraz realise his potential.
“I have a wife, a 16-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter. Unfortunately, I don’t spend much time with them because I have to provide for Carlos’ career,” stated Molina.
“We live a kind of life that involves a lot of sacrifices, people think it’s all simple and fun, but it’s not exactly like that. My parents are getting older and I can’t be by their side as much as I would like. My birthday is during Wimbledon and I have always celebrated it alone in recent years.”
Many were surprised by Molina’s eagerness to speak to Alcaraz almost as if he was giving his own son a telling off, but he has a unique position in the young Spaniard’s team after being part of his world since he was a junior players.
Molina is a Murcia native and former representative of former Spanish players David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro, with is desire to get the best out of Alcaraz evident.
“I started watching Carlitos when he was 11 years old,” Molina told the ATP. “He left a very good impression on me. I remember him as a skinny kid who did a lot of things well. I was following him a lot and I tried to convince his parents to work with me.
“I knew I could help them with everything they needed in the development and progress of their son. At 12 years of age, after eight months watching him, his father decided it was a good idea, although he still thought maybe it was premature to have an agent at such a young age.”
He was also instrumental in getting Juan Carlos Ferrero on board as Alcaraz’s coach, as he revealed details behind the addition of the former Grand Slam winner to the team.
“Carlitos was playing in a Futures tournament in Murcia and I told Ferrero to come and see him,” he said.
“Straight away, you saw something different. There were players of his age that only did two things, but they did them very well, really making the most of them. With him, it was the opposite.
“He had such a variety that he would often get it wrong by not being organised, he would get mixed up. In one point, he would approach the net, open up angles, play a slice, a lob and you could already see his winning character, bravery and daring.”
The Netflix show highlighted the tight nature of Alcaraz’s inner circle, with Molina a key figure in his tennis and his life as he looks to continue his remarkably successful start to his career.
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