Alcaraz parts ways with the coach who made him great and was like a father

Carlos Alcaraz has announced his split with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, with whom he had worked since 2018, starting from his teenage years. Ferrero played a key role in Alcaraz's development as both a tennis player and a person, helping him win six Grand Slam titles and reach world #1. Their relationship resembled that of a father and son, despite frequent disagreements about balancing work and personal life.

The decision came as a surprise, as there were no signs of a crisis: the team had been recognized as the best of the year, and Alcaraz continued to make progress. Ferrero noted that he would have liked to continue the partnership, which points to possible organizational reasons for the split—such as health issues or commitments at his academy.

Going forward, Alcaraz's main coaching support will be Samuel López, who previously worked with Pablo Carreño Busta and has already been part of Alcaraz's team since 2024.

Why is this so shocking?

1. Everything seemed to be going perfectly.

Alcaraz is the world No. 1. Last season he won two Grand Slam titles and made clear progress in finding consistency and composure on court.

In his rivalry with Jannik Sinner—the defining and most important storyline in men’s tennis over the past year—Ferrero’s tactical work has given Alcaraz a clear edge. After defeating the Italian in the US Open final, Juan Carlos spoke about their pre-tournament preparation:

We trained for about 15 days, focusing on the elements that would help us beat Jannik. We understand that on hard courts Sinner is always very dangerous. Thanks to that preparation, Carlos clearly saw what he needed to work on. I paid maximum attention to this.

Very recently, the ATP named Alcaraz's team the Coaches of the Year. Overall, during their partnership they won six Grand Slam titles, 24 titles in total, and reached the top of the rankings.

This is clearly not a case of a player in crisis trying to fix things by changing coaches.

2. They had worked together since Alcaraz was literally a child

The collaboration began in 2018, when the Spaniard was just 15. At that time, Ferrero was coming out of a difficult coaching relationship with Alexander Zverev. He had seen Alcaraz several times at tournaments held at his academy and had gone on court with him a couple of times. Carlos impressed him so much that Ferrero himself предложил become his coach.

All of Alcaraz's subsequent professional success is tied to Ferrero—to the point that his first Challenger event was played at Juan Carlos’s academy. And his first opponent there, incidentally, was Jannik Sinner.

It was thanks to Ferrero that Alcaraz became a true professional: he started training more than once a day, watching his diet, and understanding that raw talent alone is not enough for a successful career.

Overall, Ferrero often looked less like a coach and more like a second father - or an uncle. A very close senior relative who helped him navigate the complex world of professional tennis.

At the same time, Ferrero always demanded a lot from him. At times it bordered on the absurd: Ferrero regularly tried to convince Alcaraz that the only way to succeed was to “become a slave to tennis.” Carlos didn’t agree with that; they argued a lot about vacations in Ibiza and parties, but eventually they found a balance.

3. There were absolutely no hints of a split

There were no insiders, no statements, no warning signs. It felt like they could work together until the very end of Alcaraz’s career.

So why did they part ways?

Most likely, the split between Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero is explained above all by a financial disagreement during the coach's contract renewal, compounded by accumulated tensions over team organization, travel, the academies, and the personal and professional evolution of the world number one.

Here is the full message to his coach by Alcaraz (from his Instagram page):

It is very difficult for me to write this post… After more than seven years together, Juanki and I have decided to bring our chapter as coach and player to an end.

Thank you for turning childhood dreams into reality. We started this journey when I was barely a kid, and throughout all this time you have accompanied me on an incredible journey, both on and off the court. I have truly enjoyed every single step with you.

We managed to reach the top, and I feel that if our sporting paths had to separate, it had to be from up there -from the place we always worked for and always aspired to reach.

So many memories come to mind that choosing just one would not be fair. You helped me grow as an athlete, but above all as a person. And something I value immensely: I enjoyed the process. That is what I take with me - the road we traveled together.

Now times of change are coming for both of us, new adventures and new projects. But I am certain that we will face them in the right way, giving the best of ourselves, as we have always done. Always moving forward.

I wish you all the best, from the bottom of my heart, in everything that lies ahead. I am left with the peace of mind of knowing that we left nothing undone, that we gave everything we had to each other.

Thank you for everything, Juanki! ❤️