20-time Grand Slam champion and tennis legend Roger Federer has ruled out taking over as a full-time coach to Carlos Alcaraz, citing family commitments, adding that he would, however, be open to helping him out with some suggestions that may improve his game.
The 44-year-old admitted that the Spaniard may not even need a coach to win the 2026 Australian Open, considering the way he was playing right now, but did add that he would have to identify the right person in the future.
“I’m out, I’m definitely out. Maybe I could give him some advice on the periphery but everybody knows I’m too busy with my children and my life at the minute”.
“I think he can get [the career Grand Slam] with a coach or without a coach, he is that good obviously. A good coach definitely will be helping. I don’t know if he has already done press here and talked about his Ferrero situation a little bit, which is obviously going to be a little bit uncomfortable but it’s something you just have to do as a pro,” Federer told TNT Sports.
“But it is definitely going to be very important to him to find the right person in his corner and to be able to get the career Grand Slam at such a young age is incredible to be honest,” he added.
The six-time Australian Open champion said that Jannik Sinner was the other favourite to win the title and also named 10-time champion at Rod Laver Arena Novak Djokovic as the other contender.
“[Jannik] Sinner is obviously the other big, big favourite and I believe Novak [Djokovic] will have a good shot as well,” he said.
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Federer had compared Alcaraz’s quest to winning his maiden Australian Open title to Rory McIlroy winning the Masters, adding that he hoped he would go on to win the tournament since he felt that would be “an unbelievable, special moment”.
