MADRID – If ‘Alcarazmania’ had a president, Mats Wilander (Vaxjo, 1964) would be a serious candidate for the position. The former world number one and seven-time Grand Slam champion has never hidden his ‘love’ for tennis and for Carlos Alcaraz‘s smile. Whenever he can, he showers him with praise and compliments. However, this time the Swede has a warning for the Murcian: be very careful with Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final.
‘Never bet against Novak Djokovic. It’s harder to imagine him beating Sinner and Alcaraz in back-to-back best-of-five-set matches, yes, but as long as he believes, he’s still dangerous,’ the Swede told CLAY in a questionnaire interview during the Australian Open.
‘He may not have many more chances, but with Novak, one is enough,’ added the former tennis player, who is part of the team of tennis experts for the 2026 Australian Open, which can be followed live and exclusively on HBO Max and Eurosport channels.
Speaking of the Serbian and his legacy, Wilander believes that men’s tennis needs a new Djokovic, a player who stirs things up and lets Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner know that the future is not theirs alone. ‘Tennis always needs a third man to break the narrative.’
– With Djokovic’s permission, tennis seems to belong to Sinner and Alcaraz. Are you afraid that the rivalry will become boring if there is no one to challenge them in the future?
- I don’t think so. For a rivalry to become boring, it has to lose its level or excitement, and here the opposite is true. The level they reach when they face each other is so high that every match is an event. Tennis always needs a third man, someone to come along and break the narrative, but even without that, this rivalry has too many layers: different surfaces, technical evolution, mental maturity. It’s not repetitive, it’s dynamic. It’s a gift to the sport.
- Do you think the gap with the rest will close or widen?
- I think the gap may widen a little. That’s not a criticism of the rest of the circuit, it’s a compliment to them. Sinner and Alcaraz are still improving. When you’re already at the top, it’s very difficult to improve, and yet they’re doing it. To catch up with them, the others don’t need to improve a little, they need to improve a lot, and that’s very difficult when the best keep advancing.
- Can they sustain this physical intensity for many years?
– That’s the big question for this generation. The tennis they play is extremely demanding, but today’s players train better, take better care of themselves and know their bodies from a very young age. There are risks, of course, but I don’t see fragility. I see complete athletes. If they manage their schedule well, they can last for many years.
- Do you think the break with Juan Carlos Ferrero will affect Alcaraz?
– When a coach says that a separation ‘breaks his heart’, it’s real. Carlos is going to feel it. But I don’t think it will negatively affect his performance. It may hurt off the court, but Carlos has a special ability to compete with clarity. Sometimes a break like this even accelerates a player’s maturity.
- What advice can you give Carlos about the coach-player relationship?
- I had very intense relationships with my coaches. I learned that changes are not betrayal, they are evolution. My advice to Carlos is to honour what Juan Carlos gave him, without trying to erase that stage, but understanding that now the path is his.
- Djokovic pulled off a feat on Friday against Sinner. Is he capable of beating Sinner and Alcaraz consecutively in best-of-five sets?
- Never bet against Novak Djokovic. It’s harder to imagine him beating Sinner and Alcaraz in back-to-back best-of-five sets, yes, but as long as he believes, he remains dangerous. He may not have many more opportunities, but with Novak, one is enough.
- Rafael Nadal will be in the final on Sunday. For you, which void is more difficult to fill? Federer or Nadal?
- Federer left an aesthetic void. Nadal left an emotional void. Roger made people fall in love with tennis. Rafa made people believe in unlimited human effort. If I had to choose, I would say that Nadal’s competitive spirit is more difficult to replace.
