Juan Carlos Ferrero says there are two areas of Carlos Alcaraz’s game where he still needs to improve on clay

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Carlos Alcaraz continues his charge towards a second consecutive French Open title.

The Spanish star won his maiden Roland Garros title in 2025, when Alcaraz beat Alexander Zverev in the final, 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

Returning for more in 2025, Alcaraz won his opener in straight sets, dominating Giulio Zeppieri, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

He then began to struggle, dropping a set in each of his next three matches, battling hard against Fabian Marozsan, Damir Dzumhur, and Ben Shelton.

Normal service resumed in the quarterfinals, however, as Alcaraz eased past Tommy Paul, 6-0, 6-1, 6-4.

Ahead of his semi-final clash with Lorenzo Musetti, Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, has highlighted the two areas of his game that still need to be improved.

Juan Carlos Ferrero says Carlos Alcaraz’s backhand and drop shot still need to be improved on clay

During an interview with Marca, Ferrero outlined the two shots in Alcaraz’s arsenal that could do with some more work.

“Sometimes he curls his forehand a little too much, and we want him to be more direct,” said Ferrero.

“On the backhand, he sometimes lacks a little height on his returns, and his drop shot doesn’t stay in the net.

“If you serve well, it gives you the confidence to play with more definition.”

Ferrero also took the time to note the improvements Alcaraz has made over recent years.

“He matures every year; it’s a fact of life. From last year to this year on the track, his way of reacting to problems is becoming more noticeable,” he said.

“Before, he was a little more emotional. He still throws tantrums sometimes, but he handles problems much better. We’ve been working on the mental aspect with him for a long time.

“The routines, the way he handles problems on the court, the pre-match talks. He needs to feel confident that if he needs to talk about something, we’re there. 

“The serve is something that gives him confidence, and it’s something we must constantly improve and evolve little by little.”

Everything clicked for Alcaraz during his win over Paul, producing one of his finest displays of the year to book his place in the last four.

His serve was particularly impressive, outperforming his American opponent by quite some margin.

Alcaraz will certainly hope his serve holds up when he takes to the court against Musetti for his semi-final match.

Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti’s head-to-head record

Alcaraz and Musetti have played one another six times on the ATP Tour, with the former leading the head-to-head 5-1.

The pair have faced off twice on clay this year, with Alcaraz emerging victorious at the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Italian Open.

Musetti narrowly came up short against Alcaraz in the Monte-Carlo Masters final, winning the first set 6-3, before an injury derailed his title chances.

Alcaraz will likely take confidence from his two recent wins over Musetti, as he will from their one previous meeting at Roland Garros.

Two years ago, Alcaraz dominated Musetti, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, easing his way through to the quarterfinals in Paris.

He’ll no doubt be hoping to produce a similarly impressive performance this time around, as he looks to return to the French Open final, having won the title in 2024.

Alcaraz and Musetti will battle it out in the French Open semi-finals on Friday, June 6.