Juan Carlos Ferrero says his ‘heart broke’ after Alcaraz split as he opens door to Sinner role
Juan Carlos Ferrero says his ‘heart broke’ after he split with Carlos Alcaraz during the off-season, and revealed that he would be open to working with Jannik Sinner as a coach one day.
The Spaniard parted ways with the six-time Grand Slam champion just weeks prior to action at the season’s first Grand Slam.
Ferrero and Alcaraz had been working together as coach and player since 2019 and showed no indication that they would be ending their on-court collaboration anytime soon.
The announcement was even more surprising given that the Spaniard had just produced his most successful season, where he won eight titles – including two Grand Slams.
Whilst there has not been an official reason given for the split, interviews from parties and insiders have suggested that disagreement about the future contract was the crux of the decision.
“I see the results, I haven’t watched any matches, just a few highlights,” remarked Ferrero to El Larguero.
“I know he’s playing very well, that he’s very mature, very calm, and I am happy that he and the whole team are doing well. I am not watching much tennis.
“I still don’t have that urge to sit down and watch a full match.
“I’m feeling better now. I talked to Carlos, and we said goodbye in a very good way, which helped me a lot. We waited for the dust to settle, and then we talked calmly.
“Since then, I have been able to rebuild and move forward a bit. Certain circumstances arose for reasons that were internal, and I don’t regret it.
“I miss being with Carlos, I miss being there in Australia, but that’s because we had a dynamic built over many years that can’t be replaced in two months.
“There are many people around him who have opinions, as is normal, with people in his circle helping him make such important decisions.”
Alcaraz is currently in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, where he will next face world No 3 Alexander Zverev.
The Spaniard had never previously reached the last four in Melbourne and is just two match wins away from becoming the youngest male singles player in the Open Era to win all four Grand Slams.
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Despite Ferrero’s manganous nature surrounding the coaching split, he has admitted that his ‘heart broke’ when the contract negotiations fell apart.
“I’m trying to disconnect a bit,” Ferrero also told COPE.
“It’s too recent for me to watch the match and see the whole team. It makes you a bit melancholic and sad to see them all there and relive what happened.
“Time heals everything, and it makes things a little easier to accept. That’s why I’m not eager to watch matches. I gave it my all.
“My heart broke when it happened, but I’m recovering little by little. My heart is hurting, and I like to think that his is too. He is younger and recovers faster, but what he needs to do is move forward.
“We can’t set limits for Alcaraz. The limit is very high. He could be the best in history, but he needs to be motivated every year, with injuries respecting him
“He has the capabilities to achieve Djokovic’s numbers, but we will have to see year by year.”
The former Grand Slam champion has recently delved into a different corner of sport, working with the youngest Spanish professional golfer Angel Ayora.
As a long-time enthusiast of the sport, he will focus on the mental aspect of Ayora, rather than the technical.
Whilst Ferrero helped Alcaraz forge an exciting rivalry with world No 2 Sinner, he has left the door open to working with the Italian, should the opportunity arise.
“Right now, I don’t know,” he caveated to Cadena SER.
“He’s a great player, one of the top two in the world.
“I wouldn’t say no, if given the opportunity, I would have to think about it.”
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