"Praising a new coach is good, but you must always remember the old one," said Toni Nadal, uncle of former tennis player Rafael Nadal, admonishing Alcaraz after observing the 22-year-old profusely praise his new coach Samuel Lopez, yet make no mention of his former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after lifting the trophy in Melbourne on 1/2.

"I do not know how the relationship between Alcaraz and Ferrero ended," coach Toni added. "But when he made such a statement, I felt uneasy. I am sure Lopez has done very well over the past two months. However, Alcaraz cannot forget what Ferrero did for nearly a decade."

Coach Toni Nadal stated he would be furious if his nephew, Rafael Nadal, were to say similar things about Carlos Moya after their separation.

Alcaraz lifts the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, awarded to the Australian Open men's singles champion, in Melbourne, on 2/2. Photo: Reuters

Earlier, Alcaraz thanked and praised coach Samuel Lopez as the best he had ever known. In a post-Australian Open final interview, the world number one player said: "Lopez has never been a world number one player or even a top player, but he is a great coach. He has not received the recognition he deserves."

Alcaraz's statement was perceived as somewhat sarcastic towards coach Ferrero, who, during his playing career, won the Roland Garros and was ranked world number one. Ferrero coached Alcaraz when the young talent was just 14 years old. Their contract ended earlier this year, with no specific reason disclosed.

Regarding the Australian Open final, coach Toni Nadal also suggested that Alcaraz's victory was not surprising, as he physically outmatched Novak Djokovic. "Nole played very well in the first set, but it is difficult for him to compete against Alcaraz in 5 sets with such high intensity," Mr. Toni stated. "I do not see anyone other than Sinner and Zverev who could challenge Alcaraz."

Vy Anh