Tennis News: Carlos Alcaraz hires, Andy Murray misses, Jim Courier ranks

Carlos Alcaraz, star of Madison Square Garden and Spain, needed some help. He has worked with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero since he was 16 years old (though, admittedly, as young as Alcaraz is, that just feels like last year, though it isn't). Ferrero will continue to be Alcaraz's head coach, but he will get some assistance for the foreseeable future.

Alcaraz has hired Samuel Lopez to help him improve his game. Ferrero has done a masterful job of getting Alcaraz to be a four-time Grand Slam winner though he is only 21 years old. The ATP No. 3 has been ranked No. 1 previously and has the game to get back to the top ranking and stay there. He needs to adjust his style a bit, however, and take fewer chances.

Maybe Lopez can add a bit of input so that Alcaraz understands in big moments he doesn't always have to hit a difficult shot to take the point. He did coach Alcaraz last year at the Australian Open when Ferrero was unable to travel due to a recent knee surgery. The young Spaniard reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne, his best showing at the Aussie Open of his career.

Carlos Alcaraz hires a new coach and Andy Murray to miss Novak Djokovic's first 2025 event

Just as Ferrero missed the Australian Open last year, Andy Murray, the new coach for Novak Djokovic, might be set to miss the Brisbane International that runs from December 29 to January 5. The reason for this is unknown, and one might even find it surprising that the Serb is playing in the event. He has said he wants to focus mostly on Grand Slam events and he hasn't played in Brisbane since 2009.

In a way, though, it feels only right that tennis fans get to see Murray coach Djokovic for the first time in live action in Melbourne. That should be one of the highlights of the 2025 Australian Open. This is especially true if Djokovic can break his own record and get his 11th title in Melbourne.

Jim Courier names-names

A great majority probably agree that Djokovic is the best player in the history of the sport, but who are numbers two and three? Former Grand Slam champion and current Tennis Channel commentator Jim Courier gave his opinion on a recent Tennis Channel podcast.

Courier believes Djokovic is number one, but he sees Rafael Nadal as second-best, and Roger Federer as third-best. Courier said, "Roger Federer, believe it or not, is my number three. I would’ve thought 10 years ago Federer was unequivocally the very best and then along comes (Nadal) at number two...And then this guy at number one would end up tracking them down. A lot of comes down to me to head-to-head records as well. I think if you look at it, Djokovic is slightly better against these guys."

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