The Alcaraz–Ferrero split: What lies ahead for the world No. 1?

Carlos Alcaraz has recently announced his split from Juan Carlos Ferrero, his coach of seven years.

The news came as a huge shock to players, legends, pundits, and tennis fans alike, as Alcaraz has had a phenomenal year, thanks in no small part to his partnership with compatriot Ferrero as coach and mentor. The 45-year-old was also the recipient of this year’s ATP Coach of the Year award alongside assistant coach Samuel López. 

Alcaraz won a total of eight titles this year alone, which included two Grand Slam titles, three ATP Masters 1000 titles, and three ATP 500 titles. He also finished the season ranked first in the ATP world rankings. His time with Ferrero has widely been a highly successful one, with the former World No. 1 having guided Alcaraz to a total of 24 ATP titles — six Grand Slam titles and eight Masters 1000 titles, among others.

Based on his statement, there is a feeling that Ferrero wanted to continue in the role, but this may be a decision taken by Alcaraz’s inner circle to change things up and move towards a different coaching style.

Now, the question arises: why fix what isn’t broken? While there have been no reasons provided for the sudden split, speculations suggest that a mix of financial disagreements and Alcaraz’s tournament scheduling issues has led to the two parting ways. 

Let’s take a look at their journey, and speculate on what lies ahead for Alcaraz without his long-time mentor in his coaching staff.

The Alcaraz–Ferrero Era

Juan Carlos Ferrero, former World No. 1 and French Open winner, took Alcaraz under his wing in 2018, when he was just 15 years old. Ferrero had seen enough to understand that Alcaraz was a special talent who needed careful nurturing and development.

Their first major success arrived at the 2022 US Open, with Alcaraz winning the tournament and becoming the youngest player in tennis history to end the year ranked World No. 1. This was just the onset of the meteoric rise of the prodigious Spaniard.

Under Ferrero’s supervision, Alcaraz has gone on to win 24 tour-level titles, which also include six majors (two French Open titles, two Wimbledon titles, and two US Open titles). Alcaraz has not just improved his overall play, he has also shown an unrelenting mentality and ability to perform under intense pressure on numerous occasions.

While some of the attributes certainly belong to the player, the coach also deserves massive credit for the player’s all-round development, and here too that credit must go to Ferrero.

The two have grown over these seven years — Alcaraz as an extraordinary player, and Ferrero as an excellent coach. Now that this incredible partnership has come to an end, Ferrero will be attracting a lot of interest from other top players looking for an experienced, top-quality coach.

Current situation and possible long-term replacement

Since the announcement of the split, Alcaraz has been training under Samuel López, who is still a part of his coaching team. However, López seems to be a temporary arrangement and has taken charge for the 2026 Australian Open, with hopes that a permanent coaching solution is found by then.

While there aren’t many top coaches available at the moment, there are a few options for Alcaraz and Co to consider. As per Alcaraz’s childhood coach Carlos Santos, the prerequisite for anyone considering taking up the role will be a willingness to stay in Alcaraz’s hometown of Murcia, since Alcaraz doesn’t want to move away from home except when participating in tournaments.  

A few familiar names are cropping up in tennis circles, like another compatriot, David Ferrer, but he isn’t available due to personal reasons. Another option for Alcaraz is former tennis great Goran Ivaniševic, who is currently free and has had a successful coaching partnership with another tennis legend, Novak Djokovic. However, the most glamorous name doing the rounds is that of another compatriot and one of Spain’s finest, Rafael Nadal.

In many ways, an Alcaraz–Nadal partnership makes sense; both have a similar mentality, technical brilliance, and humility. Moreover, having a Spanish coach would suit Alcaraz better for communication purposes as well. However, even though it sounds good, this scenario may prove difficult to realise, as Nadal has a young family and management responsibilities at his own academy in Mallorca.

Therefore, Alcaraz may have to look at other more realistic options, which include former Spanish players Nicolás Almagro and Carlos Moyá.

Conclusion

While a player splitting up with their coach is not uncommon in tennis, the timing and situation surrounding the Alcaraz–Ferrero split is baffling.

It would have been understandable had Alcaraz been underperforming, but removing a coach right after playing one of the best seasons of his career, winning majors and ending the season ranked first in the world hardly makes sense.

I believe Alcaraz will miss his mentor on the sidelines, as there have been many instances of on-court coaching that has benefitted him, helping him to turn matches around. Ferrero has played a key role in not only Alcaraz’s professional career, but his personal growth as well.

In the short term, Alcaraz may be fine, given he will still be working with his assistant coach Samuel López. But to find a coach with whom you can find the same level of understanding and camaraderie can be challenging. Regardless of who succeeds Ferrero, Alcaraz will need time to settle in a new coaching environment, and we may see a few upsetting results next year, though he is too good a player to outright collapse without the advice of his long-term coach and mentor.

Although Alcaraz and Ferrero have parted ways under unusual circumstances, one can hope that the separation wasn’t resentful, and, maybe, a few years down the line, they find their way back to each other.