Carlos Alcaraz Has 'Best Chance Yet' Of Winning Maiden Australian Open Title
News
Doubles legend Todd Woodbridge has rated Carlos Alcaraz's chances of triumphing at the 2025 Australian Open favorably. He thinks the former ATP world No. 1 has a better chance of succeeding than last year.
Alcaraz chose not to play in any Australian Open warmup events, such as the United Cup or Brisbane International. Coco Gauff helped Team USA win the United Cup, while Novak Djokovic competed in Brisbane.
The Spaniard also followed that approach last season. Alexander Zverev defeated him in the quarterfinal of the 2024 Australian Open after an outstanding serving performance throughout the match.
Alcaraz's level during the Australian Open fan week could be a cause for concern. The four-time Grand Slam champion lost a practice set against Novak Djokovic 5-7 while the Serbian's new coach, Andy Murray, watched.
Alex de Minaur also stunned the young star during an exhibition match. Alcaraz was more inconsistent than usual throughout the match, leading to his loss to the home favorite.
That losing streak during the fan week in Melbourne ended with a victory against Alexei Popyrin. However, the former world No. 1 still endured some struggles in that match and was not at his best.
His patchy level so far in Melbourne will make some of his fans worried that not playing a warmup tournament was a mistake, and that he also should have refused to play in exhibitions during the off-season.
Alcaraz traveled to the U.S. in December for exhibitions with Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe. The 21-year-old recovered from losing the first set to beat Shelton at Madison Square Garden but lost to Tiafoe in Charlotte.
Although not confirmed, it was estimated that Alcaraz received between $1 and $2 million just for appearing in the exhibition with Shelton. That amount for playing in one match without any pressure would be challenging for anyone to turn down.
Some tennis legends believe Alcaraz should not have played in those exhibitions. Six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker recently stated that the Spaniard should focus less on money and more on winning titles.
Mark Woodforde, one-half of the legendary "Woodies" doubles team with Todd Woodbridge, thinks Alcaraz's exhibitions are a red flag and he should have used the off-season to rest and recover for 2025.
However, Woodbridge does not share his former doubles partner's concerns. The multiple-time Grand Slam champion outlined to the Times of India why he thinks this year is Alcaraz's best opportunity to win the Australian Open.
"This is his best chance yet. He didn’t get to Australia after winning his first major [2022 US Open], was injured. Then last year, he didn’t have his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, and he looked tactically unsure and didn’t play his best."
"He is probably my pick for the Australian Open based on the time he’s had to prep. It will be some feat if he was able to win the Australian Open and then have all four majors at such a young age."
Woodbridge also illustrated how much he loves watching Alcaraz by arguing that the 21-year-old has elements of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer's games.
"This time, he has done a proper pre-season. Alcaraz is so dangerous. He’s the most enjoyable player to watch since Federer. He has the flair and finesse of Roger, fitness and movement of Novak, and then the Spanish determination that Rafa had."
