Carlos Alcaraz will play two exhibition matches next week as a preparation for the Australian Open. The former world No.1 will face Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin at the iconic Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park, before making his debut at the Australian Open on January 12.

The young Spanish champion has been very meticulous during the off-season and has changed some important details compared to the past. First of all, in 2025 he will also be followed by Samuel Lopez as well as his historic coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

In addition, the 4-time Grand Slam champion changed his schedule from recent years and chose to play on hard courts in February. The current world number 3 will not participate in the red clay tournaments in South America after the Australian Open, but he will be among the protagonists of the ATP 500 in Rotterdam and Doha.

Ultimately, the 21-year-old from Murcia started using a heavier racket to further improve his game. In a recent interview with MARCA, Samuel Lopez explained the advantages of this choice: “It’s an additional help in hitting. With that acceleration that he has, he’s going to gain in power and ball weight.

With his impact quality, with a heavier racket, just by touching the ball in front of you, you take more advantage of the force of how it comes to you.

It’s been very noticeable these days in the return.”According to the latest rumors, the young Spaniard would also have tried different types of strings during the off-season.

It is no mystery that Alcaraz’s main goal in 2025 is to be more consistent than in past seasons. This is the key to getting closer to the top of the ATP ranking and dethroning his great rival Jannik Sinner.