Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni Nadal, has criticized Carlos Alcaraz for not mentioning the contributions of his former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after winning the 2026 Australian Open.
Coach Toni Nadal stated: "It's good to praise the new coach, but you must always remember the old one. I don't understand how the relationship between Alcaraz and Ferrero ended, but when he made that statement, I felt uneasy."
I'm sure Lopez has done very well over the past two months, but Alcaraz can't forget what Ferrero has done over the past nearly 10 years."
The 2026 Australian Open will be Alcaraz's first tournament since parting ways with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in December 2025. Coach Ferrero coached Alcaraz when he was just 15 years old in 2018, and this was considered the foundation for the Spanish star's rapid rise.
Alcaraz was criticized for his behavior towards coach Ferrero (Photo: ATP).
Under the guidance of his new coach Samuel Lopez, Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title without his former coach Ferrero.
After winning the 2026 Australian Open on February 1st, Alcaraz simply thanked his current team: “It was a truly emotional journey, and we went through it all without listening to what people said before coming to Australia.”
We were just doing what needed to be done, they pushed me every day, so all I can say is I'm really grateful to everyone who's in my corner right now."
Coach Toni Nadal stated he would be furious if Rafael Nadal behaved like Alcaraz: "Lopez has never been the world number one or even a top player, but he is a great coach. I'm sure Samuel Lopez has done very well in the last two months, but he can't forget Ferrero's contributions over the years."
I wouldn't be happy if, right after Rafael Nadal leaves, he says things like that about coach Carlos Moya."