The tennis world is still reeling from the shocking split between world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and his long-time mentor Juan Carlos Ferrero. As Alcaraz prepares for the 2026 Australian Open, many experts are questioning whether the 22-year-old can maintain his dominance without the coach who guided him to six Grand Slam titles.
Among the skeptics is Australian legend Todd Woodbridge. The 22-time Major champion and former world No. 1 (doubles) didn’t mince words when assessing Alcaraz’s prospects for the upcoming season, suggesting that the Spaniard could go “Grand Slam-less” in 2026.
“I think it’s going to make it very difficult for Carlos to win a Major next year,” Woodbridge told the Australian Open’s official channels. “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 coaching partnerships our game has seen”.
Woodbridge pointed to Alcaraz’s past performances without Ferrero in his player box as a cause for concern. “When Juan Carlos hasn’t been around, Carlos does not play as well. You can see him looking out into the stands; he’s actually a little unsure of himself. It’s going to take months to settle down,” he added.
The Sinner advantage
According to Woodbridge, the biggest beneficiary of this turmoil will be world No. 2 Jannik Sinner. The Italian is coming off a dominant 2025 and is now the heavy favorite to achieve a “three-peat” in Melbourne.
“Given this change, I think Jannik has the upper hand and he gets the three-peat,” Woodbridge added, noting that Alcaraz’s adjustment period may open the door for Sinner to tighten his grip on the rankings.
Ferrero breaks his silence
While the split was initially rumored to be mutual, Juan Carlos Ferrero recently provided more insight into the “breakup” during an interview with Radio Nacional Española. The former Roland Garros champion revealed that the impasse was primarily due to a contract dispute rather than a personal falling out.
“The new contract was sent to me, I didn’t agree with certain things, I let it be known, and no agreement was reached,” Ferrero explained. “I am true to my values… there were certain things I couldn’t accept because of who I am. We haven’t had any fights, but I haven’t spoken with Carlos yet”. For now, Alcaraz will be coached by Samuel Lopez as he heads into Melbourne, where he will look to prove the doubters—and Woodbridge—wrong.