Indian Wells champion Carlos Alcaraz is upbeat heading into the Miami Open with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero helping him rediscover his mojo.
Ferrero was briefly absent from Alcaraz’s box at the start of the season after undergoing a knee surgery.
Former world number one Ferrero missed the Australian Open, where Alcaraz went down in the quarter-finals.
However, Ferrero was back in Alcaraz's box for the run to the semi-finals in Buenos Aires before an injured ankle forced the Spaniard to pull out of his opener in Rio de Janeiro.
Alcaraz bagged his first title of the season in the Californian desert on Sunday and lauded 44-year-old Ferrero's "special" support.
"It depends on how he's watching me. If I'm struggling a lot, if I'm in problems or not, he tells me depending on the moments," Alcaraz told reporters on Tuesday. "But one of the things he tells me most is to smile.
"He means a lot to me. It's a great support when I have him in the box. His support is special to me. It's been a long path together, six years now.
"We've done great work together. I spend a lot of time with him at tournaments and (outside) as well. We have a really good relationship in the professional part, but the personal part as well. I've learned a lot from him."
Two-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz is eager to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to complete the "Sunshine Double" and will take on Aleksandar Vukic or Roberto Carballes Baena first in Miami.
"I'm playing great tennis. I'm really happy to be in Miami again, a special place, where I've shown great tennis the past years," said Alcaraz.
"I'm feeling great physically and mentally. I'm ready for this tournament."
