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Novak Djokovic “resolved a question” and “set a marker” with his dominant opening round 2026 Australian Open win over Pedro Martinez, according to a former British No 1.

The tennis legend delivered an imperious display to crush world No 71 Martinez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in two hours on Rod Laver Arena.

Djokovic was outstanding on serve as he landed 77% of his first serves, won 52 of his 57 total service points, fired down 14 aces and did not face a break point.

The 38-year-old Serbian, who is chasing an 11th Australian Open crown and 25th Grand Slam overall, also recorded a sublime ratio of 49 winners to 21 unforced errors.

The world No 4’s victory was a landmark 100th win at the Australian Open, which makes him the first man to reach 100 wins at three different Grand Slams (Djokovic has 102 wins at Wimbledon and 101 at Roland Garros).

He is now just two wins away from equalling Roger Federer’s record of 102 Australian Open men’s singles match wins.

What did Novak Djokovic say after his opening round win?

Following his dismantling of Martinez, Djokovic gave his reaction to his latest remarkable feat.

“I always give my best whenever I’m on the court,” he said. “History; making it is a great motivation, particularly in the last five-10 years of my career.

“Once I got myself in a position where I could eventually create history, obviously I was even more inspired to play the best tennis and that’s what I’ve done.

“I was very fortunate early on in my career to encounter some people who taught me and guided me to play the long shot, so to say, with my career. Not to burn out too quickly, take care of my body and my mind and try to have as long a career as possible.

“I’m blessed to be still playing at this level and another win tonight here is obviously a dream come true.”

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Djokovic also addressed how his body felt having entered the tournament with questions over his physical condition.

“It always feels good at the beginning of the tournament,” Djokovic said. “Let’s see how I progress. I cannot complain about tonight’s performance.

“I served really well, to kick-start the competition in the right way on the right note and send the right signal, not just to yourself but your opponents too.

“I have a couple of days without a match, recover my body, I’m using every hour I can to get my body in shape. Let’s hope for the best.”

What did analysts say about Novak Djokovic’s performance?

Former British tennis stars Tim Henman and Laura Robson discussed Djokovic’s victory on TNT Sports.

Tim Henman, a former world No 4:

“An absolutely clinical performance from Djokovic. All aspects of his game were firing on all cylinders.

“The serving was just absolutely spot on. At the back of the court, the movement was sharp.

“If you could have given Djokovic the opportunity to write the script for the first round match, that would have been it. He was so clean with everything in his game. There were no real hiccups, there were no dips in concentration.

“We talked about him trying to conserve energy for the latter stages of the tournament; to be out there for just two hours on the dot, straight sets victory, it was a perfect night’s work.

“I think if Djokovic is going to have a chance if he gets to the latter stages, matches like these are important, and tonight was ideal.”

Laura Robson, a former world No 27:

“It was 49 winners, just outstanding from Djokovic.

“If there was any question mark about the movement, I feel like that’s kind of resolved.

“Very fast around the court, but very small, quick steps as well, so that intensity was there from the start.

“It felt like it set a marker for the other players in the draw, because obviously we pencil in Alcaraz and Sinner towards the final, but there’s really Novak and then everyone else for that number three spot.”

Watch every match of the Australian Open live on TNT Sports and discovery+

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Iga Swiatek started her campaign at the 2026 Australian Open with a hard-fought win against Yuan Yue, and she left tennis pundits surprised with her approach to the match.

The six-time Grand Slam winner overcame Yuan, a 130th-ranked Chinese qualifier, 7-6(5), 6-3 in just under two hours on Rod Laver Arena.

Swiatek landed 24 winners and also committed 35 unforced errors — 21 of which came during an opening set she narrowly won after she was twice a break down, with Yuan having led 5-3 and served for the set.

The world No 2 jumped to a 3-0 double break lead in the second set, but she still had to work hard to finish off her 27-year-old opponent.

The 24-year-old Pole is vying to win her maiden Australian Open title, which would see her complete the career Grand Slam.

What did Iga Swiatek say after her opening round win?

Following her victory against Yuan, Swiatek said: “I started a bit tense so I needed to get my legs moving and go after my shots.

“I just needed to react a bit quicker and not be pushed back and really go for it. It wasn’t perfect, but that’s why I am happy, because it’s not hard to win matches when everything is going well. Today it wasn’t and I managed to win so that’s good.”

What did tennis analysts say about Iga Swiatek’s performance?

Speaking on TNT Sports, former British No 1 Anne Keothavong questioned Swiatek’s highly aggressive approach early in the match.

“I didn’t think it was ever going to be an upset, but I was surprised with how Swiatek started and how she approached the match and wanted to hit the cover off every ball,” said the former world No 48.

“I feel with her, it doesn’t have to be so big and brash at the start of every match. We see her at the start of matches — the speed is so much faster in the first three or four games than the rest of the match. She attempts to bulldoze her opponents and outhit them.”

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Tim Henman, a former world No 4, also felt that Swiatek made life difficult for herself by committing a high number of unforced errors in the opening games.

“With so many players, it’s trying to find the balance between control and aggression,” said the six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist.

“When you are playing well you can take the shot on and you are feeling confident, but when you are not playing quite so well you have to find that balance and play with a bit more patience and give yourself more margin.

“It’s almost like she wants to send a message to the whole tournament about how well she is playing from the word go, but the reality is she only has to be better than one person today and that was Yuan.

“And because she made unforced errors to begin with, she makes life difficult and she did well to win that first set and win in straight sets, but giving herself a bit more margin would help her settle in a bit quicker.”

Who will Iga Swiatek play next?

Swiatek will face world No 44 Marie Bouzkova in the second round after the 27-year-old Czech downed 80th-ranked Renata Zarazua in the first round.

The former world No 1 won both of her previous matches against Bouzkova.

READ NEXT: How has Alex Eala’s Australian Open exit affected her ranking? And what did she say after defeat?

The post Iga Swiatek’s tactics questioned by ex-stars after opening round Australian Open win appeared first on Tennis365.

Alex Eala fell to a three-set defeat to Alycia Parks in the opening round of the 2026 Australian Open, but she could still be set for a rise up the rankings.

On her Australian Open main draw debut, the 20-year-old rising Filipina star was beaten 6-0, 3-6, 2-6 by Parks, the world No 99.

Roared on by a vociferous Court 6 crowd full of her compatriots, Eala dominated the opening set, but she was outplayed by her 25-year-old American opponent thereafter.

What did Alex Eala say after her Australian Open exit?

Following the match, Eala spoke about the massive support she received during her time in Melbourne and admitted aspects of it had been “overwhelming.”

“It was so heart-warming,” Eala said.

“That’s one of the things that makes a loss like today a little bit harder — I know a lot of people were rooting for me.

“It’s a process to take it all in. I think this week, definitely there were elements that were a bit overwhelming, especially during my practices.

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“I didn’t expect that many people to be there. So it’s a learning process.

“I’m still young, so learning how to deal with all of this attention, but then at the same time being grateful.”

Eala added: “I guess this is one of the moments that I can reflect on what this means for Philippine tennis.

“I’m the only Filipina in the draw this year. I’m the only Filipina that’s ever been in the draw, I think. So there are positives to take away.”

How has Alex Eala’s Australian Open exit affected her ranking?

Eala started the Australian Open at a career-high ranking of world No 49, and she has climbed six places to a projected new best position of 43rd in the Live WTA Rankings.

Players earn 10 points for losing in the first round of a Grand Slam event, and Eala now sits on 1,154 points.

Eala’s position when the WTA Rankings update after the Australian Open will depend on the points gained by players ranked below her who are still competing at Melbourne Park.

READ NEXT: Former British No 1 makes bold 2026 prediction for rising star of the women’s game

The post How has Alex Eala’s Australian Open exit affected her ranking? And what did she say after defeat? appeared first on Tennis365.

Former world No 2 Alex Corretja has made a bold prediction ahead of the first Grand Slam of 2026, as he stated his belief that the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the top of men’s tennis will end this season.

Alcaraz and Sinner have shared the last eight Grand Slam titles between them and they have opened up a huge gap on the rest of men’s tennis by taking their game to the next level.

Yet Corretja does not believe their era of dominance will have longevity, as he told Tennis365 that the two giants of the men’s game will be knocked off their perch.

Speaking to Tennis365 before he joins the TNT Sports team at the Australian Open in Melbourne, former French Open finalist Corretja offered up his vision for this year that not many would agree with.

“I think this year we are going to have surprises,” Corretja told Tennis365.

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“I don’t think it’s going to be a walk in the park for Carlos and Jannik this year. I don’t think it is going to be easy for them to win two and two in the Slams. I think we could have a different winner this year.

“We have some guys like [Lorenzo] Musetti knocking on the door and I think he will have his chances. I’m waiting for Jack Draper to cone back as I think he has a game that will be very difficult for the opponents.

“Ben Shelton the same if he can get the momentum in Australia and [Alexander] Bublik is also looking a lot more mature, more stable.

“It makes it more interesting if we have more players. I would never say it could get boring, but more players challenging is good.

“It is good for the game that we have this Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry. In the past, we had Borg and McEnroe, then Edberg and Becker and Sampras and Agassi. Then it was Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.

“Now we have these two, but it is good for the spectators that they believe we have guys who can beat them. Best of five sets is always tricky because the longer the matches go, it would be great to have some other players that they are capable of beating them.”

That verdict is at odds with many observers of the game, with former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash convinced Alcaraz and Sinner will retain their place at the top of the men’s game this year.

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“It’s a two-horse race and I don’t necessarily think it’s a healthy thing,” Cash told Tennis365 in his role as an ambassador for the Bank of China Hong Kong Open.

“We want to see those great finals between them and the French Open final set the bench so high that everyone wants to see that. We all want another five-set thriller with points being won from all angles, but that’s not going to happen all the time.

“So it is very much a two-horse race and if one of them has a bad day and gets knocked out, the tournament officials are going to be worried. They are all hoping Alcaraz and Sinner get to the final and do what they did at the French Open last year all over again.

“They are holding their breath that these two guys get through and that’s not necessarily a healthy thing.

“Whether this is good for tennis or not, I don’t see it changing and I would expect them to win the Grand Slams again this year.”

Watch every match of the Australian Open live on TNT Sports and discovery+ from 18 Jan

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The post Former world No 2 predicts dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will end in 2026 appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic is back in Melbourne to compete in the Australian Open for a remarkable 21st time, but former world No 7 Barbara Schett has suggested the chances of the Serbian achieving his dream of winning a 25th Grand Slam title may be over.

At the age of 38, Djokovic is striving to win an 11th Australian Open title, but he has not played a competitive match since early November and heads into a new year with fresh question marks over how long he will continue to perform at the highest level.

Djokovic has hinted he would like to finish his career playing for Serbia at the 2028 Olympics, but that feels like a long shot for a player who admits he is struggling to compete against the dominant duo of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the top of the men’s game.

And when Schett sums up why Djokovic continues to compete at an age when most players have given up, she struggles to come up with credible answers.

“He just loves it so much,” Schett told Tennis365. “If he wants to keep going, I love it because it gives us something to talk about.

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“What he achieved last year, reaching the semi-final at every Grand Slam is unbelievable at his age.

“I’m just worried that he has not played much after pulling out of Adelaide, how he is going to perform now.

“He beat Alcaraz here last year and then had to pull out against Zverev and that’s the problem. The body will always let him down.

“To win a Grand Slam title? Never say no with someone who has won 24 times, but the chances are not that good.

“He says he wants to play the Olympics again, that’s how long he wants to play. Eventually, he will have to retire. They will have to carry him off the court.

“I don’t know what he is thinking. It’s incredible how long his career has been and he still has the drive and passion to practice and go through the off-season. It’s incredible.

“I’m not expecting him to reach another semi-finals and if he does, I will take my hat off to him. Everything he does not is just the icing on the cake.”

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Former world No 2 Alex Corretja also spoke to Tennis365 about Djokovic’s hopes, as he offered a more upbeat verdict for the Serbian.

“You never know what is going to happen in tennis and in life in general,” Corretja told Tennis365.

“Let’s say one of them loses in the quarter-finals and he beats one of them in the semis. Then you are in the final with another player and if it is [Alexander] Zverev, that is also a tough task.

“It is more about how he is feeling when he gets into the main matches of the quarter-finals and the semis like last year at Wimbledon when, in my opinion, he was toast before he played Sinner.

“Or is it like the US Open when it looked like he was okay, but they he couldn’t manage to do well against Carlitos.

“Not playing the week before is difficult because all the matches come at you and you don’t know how the body will react. Physically and mentally, sometimes it is exhausting, so we will see.

“Hopefully he can be there. It would be great to have Novak there again playing for even more history. That would be awesome for tennis.”

Watch every match of the Australian Open live on TNT Sports and discovery+ from 18 Jan

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The post Novak Djokovic motivation question asked by former top 10 star at Australian Open appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner fans didn’t hold back in their responses to Roger Federer after the Swiss legend suggested he may have had a formula to beat their hero, but the reaction was entirely misguided.

Federer was asked about Sinner and his great rival Carlos Alcaraz as he faced the media at the Australian Open and he suggested he saw a way to challenge the dominance of the Italian as he watched him struggle against Grigor Dimitrov at Wimbledon last July.

Dimitrov was on the brink of beating Sinner until he was struck down by injury, with Federer watching on from the Royal Box and clearly visualising himself taking on the reigning Australian Open champion.

“At Wimbledon, when Grigor was playing against Jannik and I was sitting there, that made it easy to think how it could’ve been because Grigor plays very similar to how I played,” said Federer.

“I think it was one of the first times I thought how would it have been to play Jannik.

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“I put myself more in Carlos’s mindset and skin when I watch him. Now with Sinner at one time, I thought ‘Okay, now I understand how I would probably play against Jannik.’”

Federer’s comments were merely those of a former player reflecting on how his tactics would evolve if he was playing Sinner, but fans of the Italian were quick to hit back at what they saw as a suggestion from the 20-time Grand Slam-winning legend that there is blueprint to beat the player who is currently ranked at No 2 on the ATP list.

The backlash on social media towards Federer brought back memories of how Novak Djokovic fans used to react when they felt their player was being disrespected, but that was never Federer’s intention.

He was merely suggesting Dimitrov had found a way to successfully nullify the threat of Sinner on a grass court at Wimbledon and as Federer played a very similar style of game to the Bulgarian, it was natural for him to reach the conclusion he came to.

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Sinner didn’t seem to be troubled by Federer’s comments, as he was asked about what had been said when he faced the media in Melbourne.

“I would have loved to face him, I consider him the most magical tennis player of all time. Unfortunately, I was late,” said Sinner.

“That day at Wimbledon, Grigor played well and knew how to see my weaknesses, changing the pace continuously. In the off-season, I have worked hard to be a more unpredictable player and to respond to that type of game.”

Sinner fans have tended to be a little more sensitive to criticism of their hero since he came under fire after two positive doping tests at Indian Wells in March 2024.

He came under fire for the way his case was handled and the perception in Italy was that Sinner was not given fair media coverage by a media pack keen to find him guilty.

Sinner served a three-month suspension from tennis last year after agreeing a deal to ensure he avoided the threat of a longer ban.

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The post Why Jannik Sinner fans got it badly wrong in their reaction to Roger Federer’s comments appeared first on Tennis365.

The opening day of the Australian Open kicked off what looks set to be a thrilling fortnight of action, with several of the biggest names in men’s and women’s tennis in action.

But, while the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Jasmine Paolini, Alexander Zverev, and Emma Raducanu all safely made it through to the second round, some of their fellow seeded players were not so lucky.

Here, we look at the four 2026 Australian Open seeds that fell at the first hurdle of this year’s tournament, alongside some of the other notable names who exited the event.

Men’s singles — (20) Flavio Cobolli

Italian star Cobolli has the unfortunate distinction of being the only men’s singles seed to be beaten on the opening day of the tournament.

The world No 22 was considered a potential dark horse by many, after a 2025 that saw him reach the Wimbledon quarter-final, win two ATP Tour titles, and prove Italy’s hero in the Davis Cup Finals.

Cobolli was seemingly handed a favourable draw against qualifier Arthur Fery, though — with some suggestions that he was battling with illness — the Italian ultimately slumped to defeat.

World No 186 Fery barely put a foot wrong in a hugely impressive performance, with the Brit ultimately easing his way towards a 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-1 triumph.

It is the second time that Fery has reached the second round of a Grand Slam, after also beating another 20th seed — Alexei Popyrin — at Wimbledon last year, and he will face Tomas Martin Etcheverry next.

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Women’s singles — (11) Ekaterina Alexandrova

The highest women’s singles seed to fall on Sunday was 11th seed Alexandrova, whose rotten run at the Australian Open continued with her latest early exit.

Alexandrova soared up the WTA Rankings in 2025 and cracked the top 10 for the first time, with the 31-year-old reaching the fourth round of Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.

However, having lost in the opening round of the Australian Open to Laura Siegemund in 2024 and Raducanu in 2025, the Russian was beaten in her first match for the third straight year.

It was qualifier Zeynep Sonmez who beat the world No 11, the Turkish qualifier defying the 101 places between the two to claim a battling 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 triumph.

Victory puts Sonmez into the second round of the Australian Open for the first time, and she will discover who her next opponent is on Monday.

Women’s singles — (20) Marta Kostyuk

Kostyuk beat three top-10 players on her way to the Brisbane International less than two weeks ago, and the former Australian Open quarter-finalist was backed by many for a deep run.

However, the Ukrainian ultimately fell in a historic defeat to Elsa Jacquemot, with the Frenchwoman claiming the first triple tiebreak win in Australian Open women’s singles history.

World No 60 Jacquemot rallied from a set down to stun Kostyuk 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 7-6(7) on Sunday, claiming her first-ever main draw win in Melbourne.

The Frenchwoman will go on to face Yulia Putintseva in the second round, after the Kazakh battled past Beatriz Haddad Maia in the opening round.

With Alexandrova and Kostyuk in the same mini-section of the draw, it is already guaranteed that an unseeded player will reach the second week.

Women’s singles — (26) Dayana Yastremska

Yastremska memorably reached the semi-final of the Australian Open as a qualifier back in 2024, but was unable to recapture that magic this year.

The Ukrainian is not adverse to big Grand Slam wins herself, beating Coco Gauff in the opening round of Wimbledon last summer, but was on the wrong side of an upset on Sunday.

The 26th seed was beaten by Elena-Gabriela Ruse inside Melbourne Park, with the Romanian sealing an impressive 6-4, 7-5 victory.

World No 79 Ruse will discover who she plays next later in the week, the Romanian set to take on either qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva or Ajla Tomljanovic in the second round.

Who else exited the tournament?

Technically, four seeds exited the women’s event on Sunday, with 32nd seed and former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova withdrawing from the event just one hour before her match.

Her spot in the draw was filled by lucky loser Taylor Townsend, who was ultimately beaten in three sets by compatriot Hailey Baptiste.

Another notable shock on Sunday saw world No 53 and former top-20 star Sebastian Korda stunned by reigning NCAA champion Michael Zheng, with the latter prevailing in a five-set thriller.

Venus Williams also just missed out on a seismic victory, with the 45-year-old spurning a 4-0 deciding-set lead in a 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 loss to Olga Danilovic.

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The post The four 2026 Australian Open seeds to lose on Day 1: Alexandrova, Cobolli lead shock exits appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu kickstarted her Australian Open campaign with a confidence-boosting win over Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the opening round of action on Sunday.

Despite complaints about her late-night schedule, 28th seed Raducanu navigated a slow start to defeat her Thai rival 6-4, 6-1 and progress to the second round of the ‘Happy Slam’.

Raducanu had looked far from convincing heading into the Australian Open, with the star struggling at both the United Cup and Hobart International before her Melbourne campaign.

The Brit had also dipped in form during the closing stages of 2025, with doubts about the 23-year-old’s form and fitness still circling heading into the opening Grand Slam tournament of the year.

She was handed what appeared to be a favourable opening-round draw on paper against Sawangkaew, with the world No 195 still working her way back from injury issues she sustained midway through 2025.

The Thai stormed to an early break lead and had points for a double break, but Raducanu held firm after a slow start, battling back from 2-4 down to claim the opener.

Raducanu then brought that momentum into the second set, and two breaks of serve proved more than enough for the former US Open champion to seal victory — and move to 5-0 in opening-round matches at the Australian Open.

“I feel very happy to have come through that match,” said Raducanu, speaking on court.

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“From the beginning, I felt like she was playing incredibly well and all of her returns and shots seemed to be dropping on the baseline or an inch from, and it made life very difficult.

“I’m really proud of how I fought back in the first set — and she’s playing some incredible tennis, playing way higher than her ranking is currently, and I’m sure she’s going to do some good things this year.”

Victory is undoubtedly a key boost for the 23-year-old, who reached the third round of the Australian Open for the first time in 2025.

Raducanu has 130 ranking points to defend at the tournament, and while that may not seem like a huge chunk of points, an early defeat in Melbourne would likely mean she is ranked outside the top 30 after the tournament.

By reaching the second round, the world No 29 has defended 70 of those 130 points, providing a significant boost after a challenging start to the year, and will look to reach the third round of the event for the second straight year when she returns to court on Wednesday.

The Brit will face Anastasia Potapova in round two, with the world No 55 competing in her first Grand Slam since switching to Austrian citizenship last month.

Potapova, a former world No 21, battled past Suzan Lamens 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in her opening match inside Melbourne Park on Sunday — rallying from 5-1 down in the second set.

This will be the first career meeting between the two.

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The post Emma Raducanu closes in on key rankings boost with opening Australian Open win appeared first on Tennis365.

Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash has told Tennis365 that Carlos Alcaraz may have made the biggest mistake of his career by deciding to end his partnership with long-time coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero.

The tennis world was stunned by Alcaraz’s announcement that he was breaking away from the coach who has helped him to win six Grand Slam titles, with the comments from both camps since the split appearing to confirm their partnership will not be revived.

Now Cash has given his verdict on the split and he didn’t pull any punches as he suggested the move could come back to haunt the world No 1.

“It’s a head scratcher for me,” Cash told Tennis365. “How can you fire someone who has helped you all the way through and won those Grand Slam titles?

“More importantly, he won two of them last year. It’s not like he won just one Grand Slam final, which would still be a great result. He won two of them! And was in the final of another one.

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“Hardly a disastrous year, maybe his best year, but he fires his coach.

“We are seeing a lot of managers and agents who get into a player’s ear, think they know the best for the player and throw a seed of doubt in there, it can really destroy a relationship. I’m not saying that’s happened here. I don’t know the ins and outs of it, but I’ve seen a lot of this. Is it a mistake for Alcaraz to do this? We don’t know yet, but let’s see.”

Former world No 2 Alex Corretja also spoke to Tennis365 about the Alcaraz-Ferrero split, as he suggested the shock move could have an impact on his hopes at the Australian Open.

“I hope it won’t affect him, but we have to see what happens when he plays and does not have Juan Carlos in the box,” said Corretja, who will be part of the TNT Sports team for the Australian Open.

“The thing is, he has been with Sami Lopez in the past, he already had that combination with him last year and I feel like he is ready for this.

“He is fired up for the new season and about having the chance to play well at Melbourne because he has never won there.

“Of course, there is this big question about how he will feel, but from what I’ve heard, he’s been working so hard on improving things and he is happy to start a new season.

“I think he finished last season quite well. In the past, he finished the season tired and a bit exhausted, but the fact that he was a finalist at the ATP Finals was good.

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“Then he had this issue with Juanki, but he is ready. He got there in Melbourne a week before to get ready for the condition, so I think he’s going to be ready.

“Whatever happens in Melbourne, I’m not going to be the saying ‘oh, you see he has split up with Ferrero and now things are not going well’. I’m not this kind of person to make this kind of judgment.”

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READ NEXT: What Carlos Alcaraz said about Juan Carlos Ferrero split ahead of Australian Open

The post Carlos Alcaraz told he may just have made his biggest mistake by a former Wimbledon champion appeared first on Tennis365.

Boris Becker believes Carlos Alcaraz will be a man under pressure at the Australian Open following his split from his long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero as he named his favourite between the Spaniard and Jannik Sinner.

For the first time in his professional career, Alcaraz won’t have Ferrero in his box at the start of a season as the two parted ways in December following seven successful years.

2003 French Open champion Ferrero mentored the rising star since the age of 15, and together they won six Grand Slams with Alcaraz becoming the youngest world No 1 in the process.

But they announced after the 2025 campaign that they had gone their separate ways without revealing what caused the split, although reports have suggested they failed to come to a new agreement about Ferrero’s compensation during contract negotiations, while others claimed there was tension between the coach and Alcaraz’s entourage.

The show must go on, though, and Alcaraz appointed Samuel Lopez, who joined his coaching team in December 2024, as his new mentor with the Australian Open their first tournament without Ferrero.

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The world No 1, who is yet to reach a final at Melbourne Park, is one of the favourites to win the title, but Becker feels two-time defending champion Sinner has an edge.

When asked if during an AS and Eurosport interview if Alcaraz can win this year’s season-opening Grand Slam, the former world No 1 replied: “Carlos is good enough to win in Melbourne this year, absolutely.

“For me, he is the most talented player in the world. I think he is more talented than Sinner, than [Alexander] Zverev. He had a fantastic 2025.

“Obviously, he was pushed very hard by Sinner. Right now, I rate them as equals. But you can see it especially in Melbourne: Sinner has won it twice and Alcaraz hasn’t yet.

“The pressure is on Alcaraz, without Ferrero by his side, to prove something. Is he good enough? Yes. Is he talented enough? Yes. Let’s talk in two weeks and see if we have a new champion in Melbourne. Today, on paper, I would say Sinner is the favourite.”

When asked about Alcaraz’s coaching set-up, Becker stated that the six-time Grand Slam winner is likely to go for a “super coach” as he named fellow great Rafael Nadal as “the dream for everyone”.

“The pressure is on Carlos, as I said. Ferrero is a great coach. Their partnership was excellent,” he said.

“I don’t think we’ll see any differences in Melbourne; he wants to show that he can win without Ferrero.

“But in March or April, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a super coach by his side. The dream for everyone would be Nadal, myself included. Ferrero knows how to win as a coach and a player, and that should not be underestimated by anyone.”

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