Carlos Alcarazthe former coach of Juan Carlos Ferrero opened the door to a collaboration with the world number 1’s fierce rival on the field Jannik sinner in the future.
Earlier this month, the US Open and French Open champion confirmed a shock broken with his compatriotalso a former French Open champion, completed nearly eight years together, which produced six Grand Slams.
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Ferrero was announced as ATP Coach of the Year, although he shared duties with Samuel Lopez in 2025, along with Alcaraz. absent from Spain’s Davis Cup final loss to Italy last month.
And speculation has surrounded the reasons for the split, with Ferrero, 45, admitting “I wish I could have continued”, while conceding that “contractual issues need to be reviewed” at the end of the year.
He added that “it’s possible that some of these issues could have been resolved if we had sat down to talk,” while defiantly rejecting any suggestion that the breakup was caused by financial motivation: “Money wasn’t one of the issues.” »
Alcaraz has opted to leave his training base at Ferrero’s academy in Villena and remain at home in Murcia, with his own academy a priority for the future. “I would like to think not,” Ferrero replied when asked if that was a tiebreaker.
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But even though Ferrero admits the separation was painful, he has already admitted to receiving offers to return to tennis and he said that within a few months he would happily take on a new role, including, if the opportunity arose, that of Alcaraz’s closest competitor on the court: Sinner.
“We both need time to fully process this breakup. It’s not something easy. Right now I’m hurting,” Ferrero said candidly in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca. “These relationships are hard to leave overnight. There has to be a grieving period. And, most of all, I imagine it will hurt when I see him playing in tournaments – that’s when all the shared experiences will come flooding back.
Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz serves under the watchful eye of his coach at the time, Juan Carlos Ferrero (Getty)
“I think it will take time. I need two or three months to calm down and for the pain to pass. Afterwards, if other possibilities arise, we will look into them. In the end, it’s been almost eight years without stopping and a lot of time away from home. Being at home now is appreciated.”
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“It’s (an offer to work with Team Sinner) that I should think about. They are extraordinary players, but like I said before, it’s not the time to think about something like that or to say yes or no. For now, it’s time to get through the difficult phase, because I still think about Carlos every day, and it’s not the time to think about the others.”
Ferrero also reiterated his belief that Alcaraz “has the potential to become the best tennis player in history”, despite tough competition in the past and the fact that Sinner is playing in the same era.
Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero celebrate after winning Roland Garros (Getty)
Alcaraz has not confirmed a replacement for Ferrero and could move forward with Lopez taking on a wider mandate without Ferrero as he bids to win the Australian Open next month, having never made it past the quarter-finals before.
