Ex-ATP star makes ‘concerning’ comment on Carlos Alcaraz’s split with Juan Carlos Ferrero
Former ATP Tour player Steve Johnson has described the timing of Carlos Alcaraz’s split with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero as “weird” and “a little concerning.”
On Wednesday December 17, Alcaraz and Ferrero shocked the tennis world by confirming that their incredibly successful seven-year partnership had come to an end.
The decision came in the middle of the tennis off-season; a month after Alcaraz’s last match of the 2025 season at the ATP Finals, and a month before the 2026 Australian Open — the Spaniard’s first event of 2026.
The split followed Alcaraz’s career-best campaign in 2025, with the 22-year-old having finished as the year-end world No 1 after he secured eight titles, including two majors.
Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast with fellow ex-American pro Sam Querrey, Johnson gave his reaction to the news of Ferrero’s departure from Alcaraz’s team.
“I think the timing is a little concerning, because usually with the big time partnerships, like the Roger’s of the world, the Rafa’s, the Novak’s — they’ll kind of end after a Slam, or somewhere they’re like, ‘Hey, this is our last event together’,”
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“This one kind of comes sudden, middle of December. You feel like there was a lot of rumours swirling over the last 18 months. Watching Carlos’ [Netflix] documentary, seeing maybe the dynamic with Juan Carlos and Carlos, just clashing styles just a little bit.
“But their on-court performances — it was incredible. Multiple Slams the last couple of years, No 1 in the world. Has another opportunity to complete the career Grand Slam in Australia as the youngest person to ever to it.
“I just think it’s weird timing, so I don’t know what has happened. Recently, have they had something big that blew up between them? A disagreement either financially or family-wise, on-court, just in general. There’s a lot of things that go into it.
“It’s just interesting timing that it’s middle of December, he just played all those exhibitions. You feel like right now he’s locked in to getting ready for 2026, and I didn’t see this coming, at this moment.”
Alcaraz’s collaboration with Ferrero began in 2018 when he started attending his compatriot’s academy at the age of 16.
Ferrero reached world No 1 and won the 2003 French Open during a glittering playing career spanning from 1998 to 2012.
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