McEnroe on key for continued Alcaraz rise in 2023: "What I hope is that he continues to have this joy of playing and that he stays healthy"

John McEnroe seens Alcaraz rising further in 2023 but there are several things that need to go right for him and chiefly it's his health.

Alcaraz has experienced some health issues lately as he hasn't played much lately due to injuries. An abdominal injury cut his season short last year and it delayed the start of this year. McEnroe is sure that Alcaraz will continue to rise in the new year but he'll need to stay healthy for that to happen:

"We tend to talk about the crisis the year after and it's hard to imagine that it will not happen to him (Carlos Alcaraz), to some extent. But what I hope, and this is the main thing, is that he continues to have this joy of playing, that he finds a way to preserve it and that he stays healthy. He's an extraordinary athlete and one of the biggest breathers on the circuit in the last 10, 15 years."

Read also

Reason behind Naomi Osaka Australian Open withdrawal confirmed as four-time Grand Slam champion announces pregnancy with 2024 tour return

He added:

"Carlos seems to have an incredibly complete game already, so he will hone his skills a little bit, both emotionally and technically, and then he will continue to believe in the team around him."

And talked about his coach a bit as well:

"Having Juan Carlos Ferrero as coach seems like a godsend for him, someone who understands what it takes to stay on top, in other words the guy he needs. It's going to be very interesting to see how he handles that."

Read also

Reason behind Naomi Osaka Australian Open withdrawal confirmed as four-time Grand Slam champion announces pregnancy with 2024 tour return