Toni Nadal Criticizes Carlos Alcaraz for Not Including Juan Carlos Ferrero in the Trophy Ceremony Speech at the Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz praised his new head coach Samuel Lopez during the Australian Open final trophy ceremony.

Toni Nadal Criticizes Carlos Alcaraz for Not Including Juan Carlos Ferrero in the Trophy Ceremony Speech at the Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz, Toni Nadal, Juan Carlos Ferrero (Image via X/Jose Moron, SK)

Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni Nadal has criticized Carlos Alcaraz for failing to mention his former coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, during the trophy ceremony at the Australian Open. Alcaraz triumphed at the major tournament for the first time in his career, which made him the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam.

Alcaraz and Ferrero went their separate ways in December, bringing an end to a hugely successful partnership. Both began working together in 2018, when Alcaraz was just 16 and had yet to make his professional debut. Seven years down the line, he had led Alcaraz to six Grand Slams and two-time year-end World No.1.

The 22-year-old became one of the most established players of his generation. Last year, Alcaraz dominated the men’s circuit, winning eight titles. From April to October, he won seven finals, losing just two. One of those losses came at the Wimbledon Championships final against Jannik Sinner.

However, at the Australian Open, Alcaraz was without Ferrero for the first time in his professional career, with Samuel Lopez as his new head coach. But that didn’t stop him from claiming the championship as he defeated Alexander Zverev in five sets in the semi-finals and Novak Djokovic in the final.

During the trophy ceremony, Alcaraz thanked his team, singling out Lopez, and thanked Djokovic for his brilliance on the court. In a recent conversation on Onda Cero, a Spanish radio, Toni Nadal, who has been a big fan of Alcaraz over the years, pointed out that he felt bad that the 22-year-old failed to mention Ferrero during his victory speech:

It’s all well and good to praise your coach, but you also have to remember the other one. I don’t know how his relationship with Ferrero ended, but when he says that, I feel bad saying it. I’m sure Samuel Lopez has done a great job in these two months, but he can’t forget Ferrero’s work over the years. I wouldn’t have liked it if, as soon as Rafa left, he had said those things about Carlos Moya.

Alcaraz had formed a great bond with Ferrero on and off the court. Nonetheless, reports suggest that the reason for their split was due to financial reasons. Neither party has stated the major reasons for the fallout, but Ferrero has admitted in recent weeks that he’s heartbroken about the split with Alcaraz and was unhappy watching the star perform well in Melbourne without him in his coaching box.

Carlos Alcaraz denies trying to prove he could do without Juan Carlos Ferrero at the Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz has always been clear that he holds a deep respect for the years of work he and Juan Carlos Ferrero had. Ferrero undeniably set the foundation for Alcaraz’s success on the court, particularly his style of play. The former French Open champion never hid his intention to make sure that Alcaraz became the best player of his generation.

Carlos Alcaraz wins the 2026 Australian Open title
Carlos Alcaraz wins the 2026 Australian Open title (image via X)

During his post-match press conference, after winning the Australian Open, Alcaraz was asked if there had been extra motivation for him to prove that he could win a Grand Slam without his former coach, Ferrero. The World No.1 revealed that he was just happy that he proved to everyone that he could win the Melbourne Grand Slam:

To be honest, I don’t listen to the people who have doubts. I came here just to play for myself, for my team. We know how hard we worked to be ready for this tournament. And that’s all I was thinking about during these weeks. Now that I’ve done it, I’m just happy to have proved everyone wrong.

Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Rotterdam Open, which kicks off on February 9. The Spaniard was supposed to travel with his team this weekend ahead of the tournament, but decided to pull out. This will now see Alexander Zverev become the top seed at the ATP 500 tournament.

Also Read: Toni Nadal Gives Brutal Assessment of Alexander Zverev After Another Grand Slam Failure