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.
HISTORY ON LINE: NOVAK DJOKOVIC BEGINS INDIAN WELLS RUN TO SNATCH FEDERER’S TITLE RECORD
Is Djokovic the GOAT? Discover how Novak plans to break Roger Federer’s Indian Wells title record in the 2026 California desert.
Novak Djokovic is gearing up for his 17th run at Indian Wells, chasing a sixth Masters title in California. The draw hasn’t done him any favours, but plenty of experts still see him as a real threat to win it all.
He’s coming in hot, too. Djokovic kicked off the season by making it to the Australian Open final, only falling to Carlos Alcaraz at the very end.
There’s even more at stake this year. If Djokovic lifts the trophy at Indian Wells, he breaks a tournament record that Roger Federer currently shares with him.
Now, Federer’s name is all over the Indian Wells record books. Even after retiring in 2022, he still holds eight records there. You see his name next to most finals played, most matches played and won, and the most editions entered.
Right now, Federer and Djokovic are tied for most titles at Indian Wells, each with five. They also share a couple of other records, but this year, Djokovic has a shot at pulling ahead. If he wins, he grabs that title record outright, which would leave Federer with seven Indian Wells records to himself.
When it comes to head-to-head battles at Indian Wells, Djokovic has always had Federer’s number. They’ve faced off three times on those courts, and Djokovic came out on top every single time.
Here’s how some of the big records at Indian Wells stack up:
Most titles: Djokovic 5, Federer 5
Most finals: Federer 9
Most consecutive titles: Federer (2004–2006) and Djokovic (2014–2016), both with 3.
Most consecutive finals: Federer (two separate runs of 3), Djokovic (2014–2016)
Most matches played: Federer 79
Most matches won: Federer 66
Most consecutive matches won: Djokovic: 19
Most editions played: Federer 18.
Oldest champion: Federer (35 years, 7 months, 11 days in 2017)
So, while Federer still dominates the record books, Djokovic has a real chance to add another chapter to the rivalry and maybe take home another record for himself.
THE 3.3.26 DATE: UNEARTHING THE ROMANTIC DETAILS BEHIND ARYNA SABALENKA’S PROPOSAL IN CALIFORNIA
Aryna Sabalenka is engaged: Read about the 3.3.26 proposal to Georgios Frangulis and the reactions from Gauff, Alcaraz, and Djokovic.
Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz are just a couple of the tennis stars who rushed to celebrate Aryna Sabalenka’s big news: she’s engaged to Georgios Frangulis.
Sabalenka dropped the announcement on social media right before kicking off her run at Indian Wells. As the world number one, she’ll jump straight into the second round, waiting to face either Alycia Parks or Himeno Sakatsume. But honestly, her focus seems split lately, and who can blame her? Off the court, she’s soaking up all the love and congratulations pouring in from fellow players.
She posted a video of the proposal on Instagram, adding a simple, sweet caption: “You & me, forever, 3.3.26.” Coco Gauff chimed in with a quick "Congratulations", and Alcaraz went all out with a stretched-out “Congratulatiooooons!” Ben Shelton and Amanda Anisimova also sent their best, and even Novak Djokovic shared some love. Sabalenka’s close friend Paula Badosa joined in, and skiing legend Lindsey Vonn couldn’t resist commenting either.
Now, with all the excitement swirling around her engagement, you have to wonder, can Sabalenka keep her head in the game at Indian Wells? Wedding plans are probably swirling in her mind, but if history tells us anything, it’s that Sabalenka knows how to lock in when it matters. Her serve is as deadly as ever, and she’s already put together an 11-1 win-loss record this season, with two finals under her belt.
She kicked things off with a title in Brisbane, then hit a snag in the Australian Open final against Elena Rybakina. No doubt, she’s itching to get back to her winning ways in California. The hard courts there play right into her strengths, and all four of her Grand Slam titles have come on this surface. Plus, she’s been a finalist at Indian Wells twice, so she’s got plenty of motivation to finally go all the way.
The field is stacked, so it won’t be easy. But honestly, if anyone’s primed for a breakthrough at Indian Wells, it’s Sabalenka.
