Revealing comments from Carlos Alcaraz’s sacked coach may end hopes of a reunion
The parting message from Juan Carlos Ferrero after the shock news that his days as Carlos Alcaraz’s coach had come to an end left the door open for a possible reunion, but that option appears to have been slammed shut by the events of recent days.
No one saw the highly successful partnership of Ferrero and Alcaraz coming to an end after a year that saw the Spaniard claim two more Grand Slam titles and finish 2025 as world No 1.
Ferrero was named Coach of the Year a few days before he was removed from the entourage of the world’s top player.
Yet there was a perception that this very close bond that has been built since Alcaraz emerged as a rising star of Spanish tennis could be repaired when heads cleared and at some stage in the New Year.
That was before Ferrero spoke to the media about his anger and annoyance at his very public termination, with these comments confirming that the split with Team Alcaraz is more than just a blip in their story.
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“Everything seemed to be going well,” Ferrero told Marca. “It’s true that when a year ends, certain things need to be reviewed regarding contracts. And as with any new contract, looking ahead to the following year, there were certain things we disagreed on.
“As with all contracts, one side pulls in one direction and the other in another. Carlos’s camp thinks about what’s best for him, and mine thinks about what’s best for me. There were certain issues on which both parties disagreed.
“Perhaps they could have been resolved if we had sat down to talk, but in the end, we didn’t, and we decided not to continue. That’s really what happened.
“There are points I won’t go into detail about, but we disagreed on them, and ultimately, we went our separate ways.
“I think maybe we both need some time to fully process this breakup. It’s not so easy. Right now, I’m hurting.
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“These kinds of relationships are difficult to end overnight. And there has to be a grieving period. And, above all, I suppose it will also hurt when I see him play in tournaments. A lot of shared experiences come into play there. I think it’s going to take some time.”
Alcaraz’s camp will not be impressed by Ferrero’s decision to speak to the media so soon after the split, but the former French Open champion doubtless felt he need to put his point across amid claims that his excessive financial demands were part of the reason for his exit.
Ferrero confirmed he was given a healthy percentage of Alcaraz’s winnings in his initial agreements with the Spanish champion, as he was playing such a key role in his early development.
As Alcaraz’s prize money rose, its as inevitable that Ferrero would need to take a smaller cut of his earnings, but was keen to douse that theory as he stated: “I’ve tried to make it clear that the financial issue wasn’t one of the problems and it was not the reason I was in this project.”
Now the onus will flip back to Alcaraz to explain the split when he faces the media ahead of the Australian Open and it’s inevitable that this story will be a distraction for the 22-year-old as he looks to win the only Grand Slam title missing from his collection at the Australian Open next month.
