Despite posting a not inconsiderable performance, the German Alexander Zverev (4th) was once again left empty-handed in a large tournament by falling in the semifinals of the Australian Open 2026 against the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz (1st), who a few days would become the youngest in history to complete the Career Slam by beating the Serbian Novak Djokovic (3rd) in the definition.
Precisely regarding what happened at Melbourne Park, the prestigious coach gave his opinion Toni Nadal, driver of his nephew Rafael during much of his award-winning career, who took time to analyze the surprising breakup of the young man from Murcia with his compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero last December, after recovering number 1 in the ATP world ranking and lifting eight trophies during 2025.
“I am convinced that if Ferrero were in Australia today he would have reached the semi-finals. The foundations are so established that there will not be any problems. Carlos is too good for this to take its toll on him. In tennis it is not the same as in football,” commented the 64-year-old manacorí and sports director of the Rafa Nadal Academy, in statements to Radioestadio Noche.
Subsequently, the physical trainer and regular speaker, who left control to Carlos Moyá and Francisco Roig at the end of 2017, detailed: “In the end relationships get tired. When you constantly receive a demand from a coach, who tells you that this is not enough. I was complicated with Rafael, he constantly pushed. And there comes a moment when the player says ‘whew, this guy is hard to put up with’. I think Ferrero was demanding, he wanted things in a certain way, and Carlos or those around him didn’t think it was right.”
On the other hand, the one who accompanied one of the best players of all time for practically 27 seasons spoke about the current situation of the men’s circuit, dominated by ‘Carlitos’ and the Italian Jannik Sinner (2nd), comparing it with the previous era: “His capacity is very high because has it all and it has a great advantage which is that I don’t see any rival that could worry himonly Sinner and Zverev. “Young people always worry, just as it happened to Federer with Nadal and Nadal with Djokovic.”
“Zverev is a dangerous opponent but has a mental problem. He has a lot of pressure to win a Grand Slam. “He could challenge them if he is willing to change some habits in his game and his personality,” Nadal concluded, emphasizing the impediments that the Hamburg-born, three-time runner-up in Majors, faces when launching his record in the main events of the Tour.
