After his victory against Alex de Miñaur by 7-5, 6-2 and 6-1, Carlos Alcaraz has faced the media at the Australian Open 2026. His words have had a special charge when it comes to his first semi-finals in Melbourne and, above all, due to the context of his recent professional separation from Juan Carlos Ferrero.
After sweeping away the local idol, the Murcian not only celebrated his move to the semifinals, but also took advantage of the microphone to claim his new personal stage and send a warning to his next rival, Alexander Zverev.
After years of success under the tutelage of Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz competes in his first major “solo” (with Samuel López in technical command). Ferrero’s recent statements admitting that it is “difficult” for him to watch Carlos compete from a distance have overshadowed the tournament.
Alcaraz, with the maturity of someone who already owns four majors, was blunt about the external noise: “I have learned to try not to listen, to follow the path that we believe is correct and, above all, to believe in what I do. Being in the semifinals is not a relief nor does it take away pressure from what has been said about the separation; I play for myself, for my family and for my current team.”
The world number one wanted to make it clear that, although the gratitude towards Ferrero is eternal, the “Juan Carlos Chapter” was closed to make way for a player who is looking for his own identity on the court.
On the horizon appears Alexander Zverev, who defeated the Murcian on this same stage in 2024. The German arrives after an impeccable tournament, but Alcaraz has not shown any cracks: He has not lost a single set so far in the competition.
“I know Sasha is playing incredible tennis, very aggressive and serving very well. We already practiced before the tournament and he beat me,” the Spaniard admitted: “I want revenge. “I know what I have to do and I am clear that, if he wants to beat me, he is going to have to sweat a lot.”
The Murcian also positively valued the level shown during the competition and said he was proud to see the work done reflected on the track. “I’ve been working a lot concentration and focushas been one of the main objectives. “I have tried to apply it in every training session, point after point,” he said.
The Australian Open 2026 can be followed live on the Disney+ Premium Plan screen.
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