Alex Corretja Q&A

Two-time French Open finalist Corretja is part of the TNT Sports team at the Australian Open and he is perfectly placed to offer insight into Carlos Alcaraz’s split with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, what comes next for Novak Djokovic and what we can expect in men’s tennis across 2026. 

Q. You know Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero well, so were you shocked to hear their partnership was coming to an end? 

AC: It was a surprise. We didn’t see it happening as they had so much success last year, but this is tennis. This is life. Honestly, we all felt the same sense of sadness about this situation with Carlos and Juanki (Ferrero’s nickname).

We adore Juan Carlos and Carlos, because the duo was spectacular. They got along well because they were succeeding. We didn’t want it to end, but this is what they have decided.  

Q. Do you think Alcaraz will regret his decision to end his partnership with Ferrero? 

AC: I hope it won’t affect him, but we have to see what happens when he does not have Juan Carlos in the box. Of course, there is this big question about how he will feel, but he is the world No.1 and a great player. He will do well whatever coach he has.

Whatever happens at the Australian Open, I’m not going to say ‘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 these judgments so quickly. 

Q. Do you expect to see Ferrero making a return to coaching and could he coach Alcaraz’s big rival Jannik Sinner? 

AC: Yes, I can see Ferrero returning. He loves tennis, he is a hard worker, someone who knows the game. He is someone who knows the game and thinks he needs a little bit of time to find someone that he really feels is worth it for him to leave home and go away again.

I don’t think he is going to get the same commitment as he had with Carlos because he was almost like a father to him. They started seven years ago, so it was a very intense period for him. He needs a bit of time, but players will be calling him and for sure, they have already been calling him. I think will be back at some point and could he coach Sinner? I don’t think it is likely, but everything is possible. 

Is it boring that we have Alcaraz and Sinner dominating every Grand Slam? 

AC: Boring is not the word I would use. We are seeing some incredible tennis from Alcaraz and Sinner and no one is unhappy when they are in the final because you know it will be a great match.

What I would say is I expect to see new contenders this year and I don’t expect to see Alcaraz and Sinner winning all the Grand Slams. I think this year we are going to have surprises. 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 come 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 and Alexander Bublik is also looking a lot more mature, more stable. 

Q. Novak Djokovic is heading into another season convinced he can beat Alcaraz and Sinner in Grand Slams. Do you believe he can? 

It’s very difficult to know where his soul and his heart are in the tennis world at this moment. That’s the only question I have. At the age of 38 and having already achieved so much, does he have the will and the desire to keep on improving? He is the only one who knows why he is continuing. If he has the desire, he feels he is ready and he is healthy, he could still have one good year. I would be surprised if he could go more than that, honestly.

Also, don’t forget, he might not need to beat Alcaraz and Sinner to win tournaments. One of them could be injured, one of them could have a bad day and get beaten. It’s not always clear that Carlos and Jannik reach the semi-finals and the finals.