Matteo Berrettini’s Ex-Coach Sends Warning to Carlos Alcaraz Despite Tremendous Start to the 2026 Season
Carlos Alcaraz has started the 2026 season with a 12-0 win-loss record.
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Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)
- Carlos Alcaraz has achieved 12 straight wins and a Career Grand Slam by age 22.
- Vincenzo Santopadre questions Alcaraz's long-term drive to maintain success in tennis.
- Alcaraz's recent coaching split from Juan Carlos Ferrero raises concerns about potential instability.
Carlos Alcaraz is doing things on a tennis court that most players only dream about. 12 straight wins to open 2026. The Australian Open. The Qatar Open. A completed Career Grand Slam at just 22 years old. By any measure, the Spaniard is not just the best player in the world right now; he might be the most dominant force tennis has seen since the curtain began to fall on the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
And yet, not everyone is ready to hand him the crown without a few uncomfortable questions. Vincenzo Santopadre, the Italian coach best known for his work with Matteo Berrettini, didn’t pull any punches when asked about Alcaraz’s future. His take was blunt, and honestly, refreshing. He said in an interview with Corriere dello Sport:
Alcaraz is winning and having fun, but there’s still a question mark. How long will it last? You can see he’s enjoying himself on the court, training, and playing in tournaments. He’s not just enjoying himself for the sake of winning; that would be too easy. He loves what he does. The only question is how long all this will last.
That’s a legitimate question about what separates good champions from all-time greats. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal had the irrational hunger that drove them back from injuries that would have ended lesser careers. Novak Djokovic still has it, chasing history well into his late 30s.
The numbers don’t lie for Carlos Alcaraz
Alcaraz has had 12 consecutive wins in 2026. Two titles in two tournaments. Seven Grand Slam titles total, putting him level with legends like John McEnroe and Mats Wilander before his 23rd birthday.
When the fans stack those numbers up against the broader history of the sport, the comparisons to the Big Three aren’t just flattering, but they’re almost unavoidable. Alcaraz has already beaten Djokovic and Zverev in high-pressure moments that would have broken lesser competitors. He plays with swagger and joy that make him a must-watch every time he steps onto the court.
His win at the Australian Open, clinching the Career Grand Slam, was a genuinely historic moment. Most players never get there. Alcaraz got there before he could legally rent a car in some countries.
The Ferrero factor
What Santopadre’s comments didn’t happen in a vacuum. Earlier this season, Alcaraz parted ways with Juan Carlos Ferrero, the coach who had been with him through almost every major breakthrough of his young career.
That split sent shockwaves through the tennis community. Ferrero wasn’t just a coach; he was a mentor, a tactical anchor, and, in many ways, a steadying influence on a player who can sometimes play with a little too much flair for his own good.
Martina Navratilova, never one to stay quiet when she has something to say, flagged the coaching change as a potential turning point. Her concern wasn’t that Alcaraz would suddenly forget how to play tennis.
It was more subtle than that, as she was questioning whether the psychological and tactical stability Ferrero provided could be easily replaced. Big-game coaching relationships take years to build. A player doesn’t just swap them out overnight without some turbulence. So far, the turbulence hasn’t shown up on the scoreboard. But Navratilova’s point is worth keeping in mind as the season rolls on.
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