Carlos Alcaraz opened up on his shock split with Juan Carlos Ferrero. Alcaraz and Ferrero split in December last year, ending a seven-year partnership. The partnership was highly successful as Ferrero coached Alcaraz to 24 titles, including six Grand Slam trophies.
Fererro was with Alcaraz when he turned professional at 15. Ferrero blamed the split on the people around Alcaraz, stating that they gave him poor advice. Ferrero also revealed that there was a contract dispute.
‘We’re just missing one… it feels a little bit different’: Carlos Alcaraz
Speaking to Eurosport, Alcaraz said, “I would say it is what it is. Obviously, I wouldn’t say it’s a new team. It’s mostly the same members; we just restructured a little bit. The members are the same as before; we’re just missing one. Every time I come back to a tournament I played last year, it feels a little bit different. You can feel it a bit, but we try to feel as comfortable as possible on and off the court.”
Alcaraz hasn’t spoken much about the split. On the other hand, Ferrero has appeared in multiple interviews and has shared his side of the story. In a recent appearance on El Cafelito de Josep Pedrerol, Ferrero spoke about his decision to unfollow Alcaraz on social media after his Australian Open 2026 victory.
“I don’t follow him because I need a little time. Just to create some distance. At the same time, if I open Instagram he appears everywhere anyway. I didn’t really achieve anything by doing it. I follow tennis accounts and tournaments and it still shows up. I didn’t do it out of spite, not at all,” he said.
The split between the pair came out of the blue, surprising fans and experts. The pair parted ways just two weeks before the 2026 season. After Ferrero’s departure, Samuel Lopez was promoted as chief coach. Lopez has been part of Alcaraz’s team since 2024.
