The importance of having Roger Federer close by: "It’s a huge advantage we have. Roger is definitely on our team. He himself does not want to reveal it, but we all know that he is there whenever we need him for important moments, and this is a small advantage that we take with us. They may have Rod, but we have Roger".

Alcaraz has since come across like a man keen to show Federer why he was wrong to snub him. Despite a gruelling season that has seen retain his title at SW19 and win a maiden Fren