Carlos Alcaraz recently won his maiden Australian Open title and his seventh Grand Slam title. Following his victory, he faced criticism from Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal, for not acknowledging the contribution of his former coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero.
In December 2025, after the conclusion of the tennis season, Alcaraz announced the end of his seven-year professional relationship with Ferrero. The two Spaniards worked together from 2019 to 2025, during which time Alcaraz amassed 24 ATP Tour singles titles, including 8 ATP Masters 1000 titles and six Grand Slam titles, reached the world No. 1 ATP ranking, and achieved numerous other accomplishments.
Toni Nadal Criticizes Carlos Alcaraz for Not Acknowledging Juan Carlos Ferrero After Australian Open Win
Alcaraz was the top seed at the 2026 Australian Open, and he secured his place in the final after defeating Adam Walton, Yannick Hanfmann, Corentin Moutet, Tommy Paul, Alex de Minaur, and Alexander Zverev.
In the championship match, the world No. 1 triumphed over fourth seed Novak Djokovic with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 to win the tournament, claiming the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, and achieving a Career Grand Slam in singles, making him the youngest male player to achieve this milestone.
Ahead of the Melbourne Major, Alcaraz faced scrutiny regarding his performance without Ferrero on his team. After claiming the Grand Slam title, he silenced his critics and thanked his team during his victory speech. However, he notably failed to acknowledge Ferrero’s contribution to his career, which drew criticism from Toni Nadal.
Speaking about Alcaraz not crediting Ferrero after his Australian Open title win, Toni said it “bothered” him, as he felt he could not overlook the hard work Ferrero had put in over the years.
Toni added that he would have felt similarly if Nadal had not credited him after their professional relationship ended, when the 22-time Grand Slam champion began working with Carlos Moyà .
“It bothered me, you cannot forget Juan Carlos’ work all those years. I would not have liked it if when I left Rafa, he had acted like this with Moyà ,” Nadal said.
Looking ahead, after his campaign at the Australian Open, Alcaraz was scheduled to defend his title at the 2026 ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where he won in 2025 by defeating Alex de Minaur in the final.
However, the Spaniard recently withdrew from the tournament. He said, “After consulting with my team, I had to make the difficult decision to withdraw from the ABN AMRO Open. I need time to recover after the long series in Australia. It’s disappointing not to be able to return after winning the title last year. I had a great time last year in Rotterdam and hope to return soon. I wish the fans and the organizers a fantastic week.”
Alcaraz’s next appearance on the court will be during the Middle East swing, beginning with the 2026 Qatar Open. The tournament is scheduled to take place from February 16 to February 21, 2026, on the outdoor hard courts at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar.
