CARLOS ALCARAZ AND JUAN CARLOS FERRERO SPLIT: RUSEDSKI REVEALS POTENTIAL REASONS FOR SHOCK BREAKUP
Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero part ways after seven years. Greg Rusedski weighs in on the scheduling rows behind the split.
The tennis world is buzzing because Carlos Alcaraz and his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, are parting ways. Greg Rusedski, a former British No. 1, is sharing his thoughts on why this successful partnership ended.
Alcaraz himself confirmed the split, which ends a long run that saw him become the world's top player and win six Grand Slam titles.
"This is tough to write," Alcaraz said. After over seven years, Juanki and I have decided to stop working together. Thanks for making my childhood dreams real. We started when I was just a kid, and you were with me on an amazing journey that was incredible, both on and off the court. I loved every minute.
We hit the top, and if we had to split, I'm glad it was from up there—where we always wanted to be. Now, we're both changing things up with new projects. I know we'll handle it well and give it our all, like always. I wish you the best. I'm glad we gave it everything. Thanks for everything, Juanki!
Rusedski told Tennis365 that disagreements over scheduling might be the reason for the change.
"I'm not shocked," Rusedski said before the release of his new podcast, Off Court with Greg. I wouldn't be surprised if there were some arguments about scheduling. Carlos got hurt at the Tokyo event and then again at the ATP Finals, but he's still playing exhibition matches.
If you watch the Netflix documentary, you see Carlos’s team wants him to be super serious to reach the level of greats like Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. Look at Jannik Sinner. He skipped the Davis Cup Finals and isn't playing any exhibitions to get ready for the new season. When Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic were on top, they didn't play many exhibitions. The off-season is key for preparing, but Carlos might think he can keep going without problems. That might not be true.
Rusedski thinks it will be hard for Alcaraz to find a replacement for Ferrero. How do you replace Ferrero? Who can do that? It's not easy. He's been with Carlos from the beginning, and it will be tough to find someone who can give him what Juan Carlos has.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC LANDS IN ATHENS AFTER HISTORIC AUSTRALIAN OPEN RUNNER-UP FINISH
After a historic loss to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic returns to his family in Athens to reset for the 2026 tennis season.
After losing his first Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic just wanted to see his family.
Djokovic landed in Athens on Tuesday, wrapping up two weeks away from home and marking his 38th appearance in a major final.
For the first time ever, Novak walked away from Rod Laver Arena with the runner-up trophy. At 36, he became the oldest finalist in Australian Open history, but Alcaraz stopped him in four sets: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. The match lasted just over three hours.
This was Djokovic's first tournament in more than two months, and even so, he showed why people call him a legend. He cruised through the first three rounds and reached the last 16 without much fuss.
In the fourth round, Jakub Mensik had to pull out with an abdominal injury, so Novak got a walkover and saved some energy for the big matches ahead. But things nearly fell apart a few days later. Lorenzo Musetti took the first two sets in their quarterfinal, and for a moment, Djokovic looked like he might be headed home early. Then, out of nowhere, Musetti retired in the third set, and suddenly Novak was through to his 13th Australian Open semi-final.
Next up was Jannik Sinner, the two-time defending champ. Djokovic had to dig deep. Twice he came back from a set down and eventually won 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 after more than four hours on court. He fought off 16 out of 18 break points and weathered over 70 winners from Sinner, proving that belief really does go a long way. At 36, he marched into his 38th major final.
Djokovic left everything on court against Alcaraz. He started strong, but the Spaniard found his rhythm and took control in the second and third sets, racking up five breaks. In the fourth, Novak saved six break points early on and kept pace, even earning a break chance at 4-all. Then he missed a forehand he’d usually make, and just like that, his shot at a fifth set slipped away.
Alcaraz broke late in the set and sealed the win, handing Djokovic his first-ever loss in an Australian Open final. Now, Novak’s taking some time off to be with his family. He’s expected back on court soon, probably in Doha, but right now, only he knows how his schedule will look.
WHO IS SAMUEL LOPEZ? MEET THE COACH BEHIND CARLOS ALCARAZ’S 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN GLORY
Discover the touching moment Carlos Alcaraz saw coach Samuel Lopez receive a trophy after his Australian Open victory.
Carlos Alcaraz just pulled off something huge—he beat Novak Djokovic in four sets (2:6, 6:2, 6:3, 7:5) to win the Australian Open. With this win, he joins the legends of the Open era, becoming one of the rare players to snag at least one title at all four Grand Slams.
Here’s the wild part: Alcaraz is just 22. Actually, he turns 23 on May 5, so he’s still got plenty of time. This marks his seventh Grand Slam title already. For a bit of perspective, Djokovic had only one Grand Slam trophy at Alcaraz’s age.
Since he’d never won the Australian Open before, Alcaraz didn’t really know the drill for the trophy ceremony. His coach, Samuel Lopez, got a trophy too, which caught Carlos off guard—in a good way. Their partnership has clearly paid off.
Talking to the media, Alcaraz said he loved that coaches get recognised with their own trophy. He hadn’t seen that before and thought it was a fantastic idea, since a champion’s journey isn’t a solo effort. Watching Samuel Lopez get his moment meant a lot to him. “It’s wonderful, and when I saw him there, I was so happy because I know Samuel has been working toward this moment his whole life. For me, he’s one of the best coaches—if not the best—you can have on a tennis court today. For me, it was a magical and incredibly special moment: hugging him after the last point and also seeing him there, with everyone recognising what he deserves,” Alcaraz said.
Not everyone was convinced after Alcaraz split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and started working with Lopez. Some experts doubted whether he could keep dominating the tour this year. But after Melbourne, it looks like Alcaraz isn’t going anywhere. Even without Ferrero, he’s still leading the pack.
With three more Grand Slams coming up this season, it’s shaping up to be a wild ride. You get the feeling that we’ll be watching Alcaraz and Sinner battling for the biggest prizes all year long.