The Big T Podcast, Episode 1: Inside the Alcaraz/Ferrero split

Brad Gilbert has always been comfortable saying what’s on his mind. Give him a comfy chair, his Raiders cap and the freedom to chop it up with other tennis experts? Now that’s Must-See BG.

Along with fellow former coach Mark Petchey and former world No. 9 Andrea Petkovic, Gilbert didn’t hold back on the premiere of The Big T, a Tennis Channel podcast. This must be what it’s like to share a Bud Ice or two with the straight-shooting Californian.

🎧 Listen to Episode 1 on TheBigT.com, or on your favorite audio platform

🎥 Watch Episode 1 on the Tennis Channel app and YouTube

The entire episode is a valuable listen, but as Gilbert did every day with star pupils Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Coco Gauff, let’s break things down:

🎾 Spilling the T

“This onion has started to peel a little bit further,” Gilbert noted about the shock split of world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. The Spaniards won six Grand Slam titles together as a team, but just days before the 2026 season began, a bombshell dropped: No mas.

The reason(s) for this development are still unclear, but all three insiders offered their takes in a wide-ranging and passionate discussion. Each has personal experiences dealing with this type of situation, and from the feelings involved to the financial impacts, there’s a lot to unpack.

Two things, however, are certain:

“Everybody know where they were when they found out,” said Petkovic.

And as far as Ferrero goes, according to Petchey, “ it f---ing hurts.”

LISTEN, THEN READ: Carlos Alcaraz moved up with Juan Carlos Ferrero—now, he moves on without him

🗣️ Carlitos: A Conversation

It’s not easy getting Carlos Alcaraz to stop moving. But Petkovic did just that in Miami, when she sat down with the global superstar for an exclusive interview. Check out the convo for Carlitos’ answers to these questions:

• Why didn’t he go to the Maldives like every other top tennis player?
• What season does he feel was his best?
• How will Spain’s soccer team fare in this year’s World Cup?
• Do you like being the Bad Bunny of tennis?

💍 Knot to be Forgotten

Venus Williams recently married, as did Casper Ruud. And another love match is on the way: Coco Vandeweghe, former Australian Open and Wimbledon semifinalist, is engaged!

Vandeweghe, part of the inner circle on The Big T, checks in with the gang about the news right before her flight takes off. (Was it a romantic proposal? You be the judge,)

FIVE DAYS, A DOZEN LOOKS: Inside Venus Williams' Palm Beach wedding bash

👉 Two First-Week Matches That Caught Our Eyes

Men’s singles, women’s singles, mixed doubles: The United Cup has it all, and right away as a new season begins. Safe to say that Petkovic is a fan of the rare dual-gender extravaganza.

“If you had everyone in one place, this could be the greatest tennis event outside of the majors,” the German declared, because of tennis’ unique selling point: “a man and a woman can play on the same court and be equally beneficial to each other.”

The Tennis Channel app has full replays and extended highlights of all the mixed matches from Perth and Sydney—click here to subscribe and watch.

The panel also dove into two singles matches: Taylor Fritz vs. Jaume Munar (watch here), and Coco Gauff  vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (watch here). Both three-setters were revealing for different reasons. Check out the replays on the app, then hear what the crew has to say about each, around the episode’s 30-minute mark.

🔥 Hot Take Alert: Sincaraz

Back to BG, who saved some of his spiciest thoughts for the tennis topic on everyone’s mind: Jannik Sinner vs. Carlos Alcaraz. The rivalry has been neck-and-neck the last two years, with the young kings splitting the last eight Slams. But according to Gilbert, the aforementioned Ferrero move will have major ramifications.

“More than anything, advantage Sinner,” says Gilbert. “If you put Andre and Novak Djokovic in a blender, you come up with Sinner.”

That’s quite a concoction, but who can doubt Alcaraz—“the great tennis mixologist,” asserts Petchey—after their most famous collision, the iconic and epic Roland Garros final? (Watch extended highlights here.)

Even so, Gilbert predicts something historic for the Italian in 2026.

LISTEN, THEN READ: What to expect from Carlos and Jannik in 2026 as year three of the Sincaraz Era begins

🎧 How to Listen and Watch

New episodes drop every Wednesday: Follow on your favorite platform for instant notifications:

• Spotify
• Apple
• Amazon
• YouTube
• iHeart

And, watch full episodes, individual segments and bonus content on the Tennis Channel app.

🚨 Bonus Interview: Andrea Petkovic and Amanda Anisimova

🚨 Bonus Interview: Andrea Petkovic and Joao Fonseca