Roger Federer has been linked with coaching Australian Open hopeful Carlos Alcaraz and has addressed the topic, proving Tim Henman was right about his stance on the matter
Roger Federer has backed up tennis legend Tim Henman’s view following a debate about Carlos Alcaraz’s coaching future. The Spanish sensation is chasing a career Grand Slam at the Australian Open.
At just 22, Alcaraz stands alongside Jannik Sinner as one of tennis’s brightest stars, boasting six Grand Slam crowns. Though Melbourne glory has eluded him so far.
December 2025 brought a bombshell when Alcaraz parted ways with long-serving coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. Samuel Lopez is now steering him into the 2026 season’s opening major.
Speculation has swirled around Federer potentially stepping into the coaching role, sparking a lively TNT Sports discussion between Henman and a colleague. The Swiss maestro has now weighed in on the prospect.
Former Swedish tennis star Mats Wilander was chatting with Henman about potential coaching candidates when he declared: “I think Roger Federer would be the ideal coach for Carlos Alcaraz.”
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However, ex-British No. 1 Henman wasn’t having any of it. He responded: “I don’t think Federer is necessarily the right person or that he has the inclination to coach.”
“I think there have been a lot of great Spanish players. I wonder whether he will look to work with a Spaniard, but he has to make the right choice.
“He doesn’t need to rush into it. He can obviously see who’s out there because any tennis coach is going to want to work with Carlos Alcaraz.
“He has such an immense talent. But in the short term, the press conference and his performance at the Australian Open will be under even more scrutiny just because of the decision he’s made.”
Speaking in Melbourne this week, Federer validated Henman’s observation entirely, confirming he isn’t considering coaching at present. The 20-time Grand Slam champion hung up his racket in September 2022.
When questioned about whether he’d be moving into coaching, Federer responded: “Never say never. [Stefan] Edberg said the same. I’m very busy, I’ve got four children. No chance for the moment.”
The Swiss legend also discussed the prospect of Alcaraz securing the sole Grand Slam missing from his collection, commenting: “It’s like Rory [McIlroy] going for the Masters, those things are tough.
“At his young age, completing the career Grand Slam would be crazy. Let’s see if he is able to do crazy this week. I hope he does because for the game it would be an unbelievably special moment.”
Throwing Sinner into the mix, he continued: “What we’ve seen in terms of their progression in the last years, it’s been wonderful. I practised with those guys a little bit. They’re incredible ball strikers. There’s obviously more to come. I just hope they stay injury-free.”
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