- Laver Cup Pays Tribute to Retiring Rafael Nadal
- Swiss Indoors Basel Draws and Schedule for Friday, October 25, 2024
- Ricky’s picks for Friday in Basel, involving Rublev and Tsitsipas
- Maria Sharapova and Bryan Brothers to be Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2025
- Swiss Indoors Basel Draws and Schedule for Thursday, October 24, 2024
- Aussie Tennis hits 1 Million Hours of Court Time
- Taylor Fritz to Play for History at 2025 Delray Beach Open
- USTA Announces Reorganization, Martin Blackman Out
- Ricky’s picks for Wednesday in Vienna, including Berrettini vs. Tiafoe
- Swiss Indoors Basel Draws and Schedule for Wednesday, October 23, 2024
- Tennis News: Iga Swiatek to Play for Poland in Billie Jean King Cup
- Swiss Indoors Basel Draws and Schedule for Tuesday, October 22, 2024
- Tennis News: United Cup 2025 to Host Blockbuster Draw
- Paul improves Nitto ATP Finals standing with Stockholm title
- “Amazing” Djokovic vs. Nadal rivalry comes to an end at Six Kings Slam
Alcaraz will be without injured coach Ferrero at Australian Open
- Updated: December 23, 2023
Carlos Alcaraz’s coaching box will look a little bit different at the 2024 Australian Open. Absent will be coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who is unable to make the trip Down Under after recently undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
Samuel Lopez will be Alcaraz’s acting coach for the first Grand Slam of the 2024 campaign. Lopez has been working with Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, who is sidelined by a longterm injury.
Preparation for the Aussie Open and for the upcoming season general is well underway for Alcaraz, who missed the Melbourne major this past year due to a hamstring problem. The 20-year-old recently trained with Jannik Sinner at the Ferrero Tennis Academy in Alicante, Spain.
Alcaraz has played the Australian Open just twice, falling to Mikael Ymer in round two as a qualifier in 2021 before bowing out at the hands of Matteo Berrettini in round three of the 2022 edition. The world No. 2 is, of course, a top title contender this time around and heads into the tournament as a two-time slam champ, having triumphed at the 2022 U.S. Open and at Wimbledon this past summer.
Sinner advanced to his first major semi at the All-England Club in 2023, when he succumbed to Novak Djokovic in straight sets. The world No. 4 projects to be a top-four seed at the Aussie Open after concluding this season in amazing form–highlighted by Italy’s Davis Cup title and a runner-up performance at the Nitto ATP Finals (lost to Djokovic after upsetting the world No. 1 during round-robin competition).
Both Alcaraz and Sinner will begin their 2024 campaigns at Melbourne Park. They are not signed up for preceding tournaments in Hong Kong, Brisbane, Auckland, or Adelaide.
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.