Tennis legend Boris Becker thinks Carlos Alcaraz’s triumph at the 2026 Australian Open has proven that the world No 1 made the right decision to part ways with his former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Alcaraz defeated 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 in the final on Rod Laver Arena to secure his maiden Australian Open crown and seventh Grand Slam overall.
At the age of 22, Alcaraz’s victory saw him become the youngest male player to complete a career Grand Slam in the Open Era, breaking Rafael Nadal’s record.
During the off-season, Alcaraz made the surprise announcement that he had parted ways with Ferrero, who he had been coached by since 2018, when he was 16 years old.
Samuel Lopez, who coaches at Ferrero’s academy, took the reins as Alcaraz’s main coach, having joined the team in December 2024. Prior to this, Lopez had already coached Alcaraz at tournaments Ferrero did not attend in 2022 and 2023.
The Australian Open was Alcaraz’s first tournament since the split with Ferrero, and it is the first title he has won without the former world No 1 in his team.
Speaking to Eurosport Germany, Becker lauded Alcaraz after his triumph in Melbourne.
“Huge respect, a really strong performance from Alcaraz,” said the six-time Grand Slam champion.
“It didn’t look like it at the start, because Djokovic played a sensational first set. The longer the match went on, the more you got the feeling that Alcaraz was feeling comfortable.
“The long rallies at the end, when he stood up to his opponent, made it clear to me that Novak’s time was slowly running out on this day.
“It was a difficult decision for Team Alcaraz to part ways with the successful duo of Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero. But after 14 days, we know that the decision was the right one. The journey continues, and he has the tennis world at his feet.
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“He is a very likeable player. The semi-final against Alexander Zverev was hard-fought, but today he was simply outstanding.”
Former world No 4 Tim Henman gave his reaction to Alcaraz’s win on TNT Sports.
“It’s absolutely phenomenal when you take into consideration the greats of the games who took so long to achieve it,” Henman said.
“When you reflect he won his first Slam in New York in 2022 and he’s just gone from strength to strength, proving he can play on every surface.
“But it’s the way he’s gone about it, his personality and charisma on and off the court. It’s how we were wanting the next generation to come through after [Roger] Federer, [Rafael] Nadal and Djokovic… let’s not forget Jannik Sinner, but the way Alcaraz has come through to win his seventh Grand Slam and first Australian Open is truly remarkable.
“He’s a performer, he’s out on stage and wants to show off his skillset, and he’s got so many skills. His ability and winning these big titles, it was fitting the Rafa was in the crowd.”
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