Details are starting to emerge about the recent split between Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero. The two ended their seven-year partnership suddenly on December 17, with both announcing their decisions on social media.
Journalist Javier de Diego from Deportes RNE reports that the split was primarily due to disagreements over a contract extension. While the breakup was unexpected, it did not involve any major arguments.
With the Australian Open just a month away, this timing seems unusual for Alcaraz, who currently has only Samuel Lopez on his coaching staff.
During his seven years with Ferrero, Alcaraz won 24 ATP titles, including six Grand Slams and eight Masters 1000 events.
Carlos Alcaraz has concluded his successful coaching partnership with Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has been with him since he joined his academy at age 16 in 2018. Under Ferrero’s guidance, Alcaraz secured all 24 of his singles titles, which included six Grand Slams and eight Masters 1000 trophies.
Alcaraz became the youngest world No. 1 in ATP history after winning the US Open in 2022. Ferrero, a former world No. 1 himself, received the ATP Coach of the Year award in both 2022 and 2025. Following the split, Alcaraz will continue working under the same structure, with Samuel Lopez stepping into the primary coaching role.
Lopez has previously coached Alcaraz at various events when Ferrero was unavailable, including the 2022 Miami Open, where Alcaraz claimed his first Masters title, and the Queen’s Club in 2023, where he won his first grass-court trophy. Alcaraz also reached the quarter-finals of the 2024 Australian Open with Lopez.
In 2025, Lopez coached Alcaraz during four tournaments, leading to victories in Monte Carlo, Cincinnati, and Tokyo, though they lost in the Qatar Open quarter-finals. In seven events without Ferrero since 2022, Alcaraz achieved five titles, boasting an impressive record of 33 wins against just two losses.
Former British No.1 Greg Rusedski believes Carlos Alcaraz needs to learn from Jannik Sinner about managing his schedule. Rusedski discussed this on his podcast.
He missed two Masters 1000 tournaments to play in Barcelona and Tokyo, then he got injured at the ATP Finals and had to withdraw from the Davis Cup. Shortly after that, he played exhibition matches in the preseason. He’s young and can recover, but he should be smarter with his schedule. He should take a cue from Sinner, who played in the Six Kings Slam exhibition and rested otherwise, skipping the Davis Cup.
Sinner’s choice to skip the Davis Cup faced criticism, particularly in Italy. However, it did not hinder the team’s performance as they secured their third consecutive Davis Cup title.
Alcaraz was set to play in the Davis Cup after the ATP Finals, but an injury he sustained in Turin prevented him from competing. A negative MRI result led to the cancellation of his plans for the event.
Alcaraz has previously voiced concerns about the demanding tennis schedule. At last year’s Laver Cup, he mentioned that the ATP’s schedule could potentially overwhelm him.
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