Since Carlos Alcaraz parted ways with his coach of seven years, Juan Carlos Ferrero, earlier this month, there has been widespread discussion within the tennis community, raising several questions and concerns. Recently, former Australian professional tennis player Todd Woodbridge shared his thoughts on the split between the two Spaniards.
Jannik Sinner Will Win Australian Open 2026 Because of Carlos Alcaraz-Juan Carlos Ferrero’s Split, Believes Todd Woodbridge
As the 2026 tennis season approaches, Woodbridge expressed his belief that Jannik Sinner, who won the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025 by defeating Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev in the finals. He said that Sinner has a better chance of achieving a “three-peat.” He suggested that Alcaraz will struggle with the impact of losing Ferrero.
Alcaraz’s best result at the Australian Open has been reaching the quarterfinals in 2024 and 2025, where he lost to Zverev and Novak Djokovic, respectively. This Grand Slam is the only one he has yet to win. In 2026, he will be keen to secure the Melbourne Major and complete a Career Grand Slam.
Recently, while speaking on the AO Originals The Tennis weekly episodes, Woodbridge commented on the Alcaraz-Ferrero split, stating that it will be “very difficult” for the 22-year-old to win a Grand Slam title in 2026. He said that he finds it “mind-boggling” that Alcaraz would make such a significant change by parting ways with Ferrero at this stage in his career, especially given his current high level of performance.
“I think it’s going to make it very difficult for Carlos to win a Major next year. We know he’s good enough, but that change at this point in his career, I find it mind-boggling. We’re talking about one of the greatest duos of coaching partnerships that our game has seen,” Woodbridge said.
The 16-time doubles Grand Slam champion mentioned that reports indicate the split was not due to any issues between Alcaraz and Ferrero, but rather because of “outside sources and negotiations.” He suggested that the two should reunite to continue their “incredible career.”
“It would seem from reports that are out there that it wasn’t between the two of them; it was between outside sources and negotiations. And if we’re talking about a bit of money here or scheduling there, get it right, get it together, and continue with this incredible career,” he continued.
Woodbridge also pointed out that Alcaraz tends to play less effectively when Ferrero is not in the stands, feeling “unsure” of himself. He mentioned that it will take Alcaraz many months to adjust to this coaching change, which could create opportunities for other players to secure victories. He believes this situation gives Sinner the “upper hand” in his pursuit of a third consecutive Australian Open title.
“When Juan Carlos hasn’t been around the last few years, Alcaraz does not play as good, and you can see him looking out into the stands. He’s actually a little unsure of himself, and it’s gonna take months to settle down, and then will he settle? In the meantime, he may give others the opportunity to get some victories. Given that change, I think Jannik has the upper hand, and he gets the three-peat,” Woodbridge added.
During his time with Ferrero as his coach, Alcaraz won a total of 24 ATP Tour singles titles, including eight ATP Masters 1000 titles and six Grand Slam titles: two each at Wimbledon (2023 and 2024), the French Open (2024 and 2025), and the US Open (2022 and 2025).
