A Career Grand Slam. Tennis seems almost complete for Carlos Alcaraz’s career, following his latest Australian Open triumph over Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. At just 22 years old, the Spaniard became the youngest man ever to achieve this particular accomplishment. But for him, the trophy was more than silverware; it reminded his critics to never count him out.

During the Australian Open press conference, when asked if he was “extra motivated” to win the Grand Slam title, he said, “Well, not really, to be honest.” He then followed with, “So, I didn’t think about, you know, those people that had doubts about it. I came here just playing for myself, playing for my team. We all know how hard I worked, you know, to be ready for this tournament. And I had too many things to think about, you know, during this tournament.”

But what was the criticism for? Back in December 2025, when it became official that Alcaraz split with his longtime coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, the tennis world was shocked. The reason? Well, Ferrero was the man behind Alcaraz’s rise to world no. 1. With him, the 22-year-old secured 24 tour-level titles, which included six Grand Slams (two French Opens, two Wimbledons, and two US Opens).

So, opening up about his secret behind winning the Australian Open, he said, “Just focus on my game style, focus on myself, being passionate. And that’s all I thought about, you know, during this tournament. But, you know, once I get it, I’m just happy to prove all the people were wrong.” They doubted that his performance would suffer significantly after the split, but he proved them all wrong by winning the title.

Throughout the entire Australian Open, Alcaraz was picking up victories like a walk in the park. He had straight-set wins until his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev. That particular game saw him struggling during the third set with cramps, which his German opponent capitalized on. However, eventually the Spaniard maintained his composure and emerged victorious.

In the final, Djokovic won the first set, but Alcaraz came back and snatched the momentum of the match entirely from the Serb. “I remembered those who said I wouldn’t make it, that I would come to Australia and wouldn’t get past the quarterfinals, and wouldn’t play good tennis. Those who didn’t believe,” he also said while holding the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup (translated from Spanish).

For Alcaraz, this is a massive start to his 2026 season. And he also thanked the people who worked behind him in this title journey.

Carlos Alcaraz praised his team and shut down the coaching controversy

While it was a “mutual” split between Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero, the criticism didn’t seem to stop. But despite all the pressure, Alcaraz winning the Australian Open title says a lot about the Spaniard.

“I’ve been working, you know, to get this trophy. I just taste this moment, you know, so much. You know, appreciation that it was a little bit rollercoaster emotionally. And we went through, let’s say, not hearing anything about what the people were saying before coming to Australia,” he said, talking about the efforts that he put into the Grand Slam, which finally came to fruition.

Alcaraz then showcased gratitude towards his team, saying, “We just did the right work. Like, you know, you just, you were pushing me every day to do all the right things. So I just, I gotta say, I’m just really grateful for everyone I have in the corner right now. And then just, as I said, this trophy is always, you know, it’s always yours.”

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Samuel López is now the Spaniard’s coach. Throughout the 2025 season, he was with Alcaraz, alongside Ferrero, and the coaching duo pushed him to eight titles, including the French Open and the US Open. So, with the 2026 campaign just witnessing its first Grand Slam, only time will tell if this will be the season where Alcaraz can win them all.