Mats Wilander Explains Why Roger Federer Would Be ‘Perfect’ Coach for Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz will become the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam if he wins the Australian Open.
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Mats Wilander, Roger Federer, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via Tennis365, X/The Tennis Letter)
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Carlos Alcaraz will be entering the Australian Open without Juan Carlos Ferrero, with whom he parted ways last December. Coach Samuel Lopez, who joined Alcaraz’s team in December 2024, will be working with him in the first Major of the season, but it is uncertain whether the youngster will hire another coach.
Tennis great Mats Wilander thinks Alcaraz should hire a former Grand Slam champion next, and went on to explain why he thinks Roger Federer would be a “perfect” coach. The only member of the Big 4 who has taken up coaching responsibility after retirement is Andy Murray, and he joined the entourage of none other than his former longtime rival, Novak Djokovic, though the partnership did not last for more than six months.
And I think if you’re going to have another Grand Slam voice in mind, that voice should come from a player with a different style. When you talk about Murray and Carlos Alcaraz, there’s a similarity in their playing style. But if you take John McEnroe and then Carlos Alcaraz, you suddenly see a big difference.
Mats Wilander told Eurosport
Alcaraz has arrived in Melbourne and has already started his practice session. Prior to Australia, he was in South Korea for a lucrative exhibition event, where he played against Jannik Sinner, defeating him in straight sets.
Or if you take Stefan Edberg and Carlos Alcaraz, there’s a big difference. Or let’s take Roger Federer, for example. Now, we’re talking about someone who could really help Carlos Alcaraz with the part of his game he’s not so comfortable with. And I think Roger Federer would be the perfect coach for Carlos Alcaraz.
Mats Wilander added
At the Australian Open, Alcaraz will be bidding to become the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam. Although he has added each of the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open twice to his trophy cabinet, Alcaraz has yet to reach the semifinals of the Australian Open. Twice he lost in the quarterfinals, in 2024 and 2025, losing in four sets to Alexander Zverev and Djokovic, respectively.
Mats Wilander doesn’t think Carlos Alcaraz’s tennis will be affected by Juan Carlos Ferrero’s absence
The tennis world is eager to see how Carlos Alcaraz will perform without Juan Carlos Ferrero. But Mats Wilander is not concerned about it as he thinks the 22-year-old is mature enough to navigate his career without Ferrero’s guidance.
I don’t think it will make a big difference in the end, because I think Carlos Alcaraz is too mature. He knows too much about tennis, so I don’t think Juan Carlos’s absence will hinder his development. But I do think it will be a big change because, on a daily basis, they had to deal with each other, every single day: in training, in warm-ups, at dinners, at breakfasts, at the tennis tournament.
Mats Wilander told Eurosport
Ferrero left Alcaraz’s team due to failed contract negotiations. Under the former World No.1, the current World No.1 reached the top of the rankings table as well as won his 24 tour-level titles, including his six Majors.
Some from the tennis community think Ferrero will be back in Alcaraz’s team if he fails to defend the French Open title. Last year, apart from the Roland Garros, Alcaraz won the US Open and six more titles, including three Masters 1000s.
He also made the championship clash of the ATP Finals, but failed to go past Jannik Sinner, who defended his crown with a straight-set win. Alcaraz met the Italian ace six times, all in finals, last year, including in the aforementioned Majors, losing only at Wimbledon and the ATP Finals.
Also read: Ben Shelton Hopes to take His Chances against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in 2026
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