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Former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis has weighed in on Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam title hopes as he addressed how long the legendary Serbian will keep playing.

Since Djokovic secured a record-extending 24th Grand Slam men’s singles title at the 2023 US Open, the last eight majors have been shared by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Ken Rosewall holds the distinction of being the oldest Grand Slam singles champion in tennis history, having been 37 years, one month and 24 days old when he won the 1972 Australian Open.

Djokovic would break this record if he were to win a 25th major as he will turn 39 in May next year.

The Serb demonstrated remarkable longevity in 2025 as he finished the season as the world No 4 despite playing just 12 tournaments, having amassed a 39-11 (78%) record. Djokovic reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slams and won ATP 250 titles in Geneva and Athens.

In an exclusive interview, Tennis365 asked Baghdatis if he thinks Djokovic can add to his Grand Slam haul and whether the tennis icon is close to retirement.

“Year by year, it’s going less and less, the chances, that’s for sure,” the former world No 8 said.

“But he’s still there, he’s still in the top five players in the world, he’s still competing with the top two, even top three.

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“So, he’s still there. But how long, I think depends only on him, depends especially on his mind, if he’s still enjoying it and playing at that level. If I was in his place, I would never retire either. But it all depends on him.”

The four-time ATP Tour titlist went on to add that he feels “it might become a bit harder” for players to compete at the top for as long as Djokovic due to the demands of the tennis schedule.

What is Marcos Baghdatis’ record against Novak Djokovic?

Baghdatis played from 2003 until 2019, and he faced Djokovic on eight occasions, with the matches spread between 2007 and 2015.

The Cypriot lost all eight of his encounters with Djokovic, although he won at least a set in five of the matches, including all three of their Grand Slam showdowns.

The 2006 Australian Open runner-up told Tennis365 that Djokovic reached a higher peak level than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

“I think, whenever I played Novak, [they were] pretty close matches. That’s my thinking. Maybe I’m wrong, but what’s what I remember,” Baghdatis said.

“But I think I once got a nice beating out of him, and it was in Indian Wells. It was a 6-1, 6-2 (6-1, 6-3), I came off the court and I felt the guy gave me a lesson.

“And I never felt like that with another player. I never felt like that with Roger or with Rafa, even when I was younger and I played Roger, I always felt like, ‘Next time I can beat him’. I always felt that.

“But with Novak it was… I didn’t have that feeling, especially after that match.”

READ NEXT: Marcos Baghdatis reveals why Djokovic, Nadal & Federer ‘stand out’ compared to Alcaraz & Sinner

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Former WTA Tour star Nadia Petrova has questioned Novak Djokovic’s ambition of retiring after the 2028 Olympic Games.

The long-term future of Djokovic has been a regular point of discussion within tennis in recent months, especially with his ‘Big 3’ counterparts, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, having left the game in the past few years.

The 38-year-old has played a limited schedule in recent seasons, contesting just 13 events in 2025, and has not won a Grand Slam title since 2023, with younger rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner dominant since the start of 2024.

However, Djokovic is still competing at an incredibly high level and, despite his limited schedule, finished 2025 ranked fourth in the world, winning two titles and reaching the semi-final of all four Grand Slam tournaments.

The Serbian revealed earlier in 2025 that his planned retirement was at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, having memorably struck gold at the Paris 2024 Games last summer.

Asked about his future following his victory at the Hellenic Championship in Athens in November, Djokovic again reiterated that wish.

“I’ve always had this throughout my life and my career, I’ve always had a schedule in my head for a year or more, what I want, how I want it,” he told reporters.

“Since I’ve achieved absolutely all possible goals, I said about the 2028 Olympics because I wanted to play for so many more years. So maybe ending up at the Olympic Games with the Serbian flag, that would be nice.”

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Djokovic would be 41 by the time of the Los Angeles Games and, having struggled with multiple physical concerns in recent months, he would need to manage his body carefully to be able to compete.

His ability to do that has now been questioned by Petrova, who reached a career-high of world No 3 in both singles and doubles during a successful career.

Speaking to Championat, Petrova — a women’s doubles bronze medallist at the London 2012 Games — claimed it would become “harder and harder” for Djokovic to handle the demands of the sport.

She said (translated from Russian): “The next Olympics are still a long way off.

“Besides, he won gold [at Paris 2024], so I don’t see any point in him racing for the next Olympics.

“He had some great matches this season, won some titles, but he was still physically inferior to the leaders of men’s tennis, Alcaraz and Sinner. And it’s only going to get harder and harder with each passing year.

“It would be great if, by some miracle, he finally wins another Grand Slam next year and ends his career on a high note.

“But then again, Novak is a huge fan of the sport. And only he knows how much longer he can play.”

Djokovic is currently in the middle of his pre-season preparations ahead of his 2026 campaign, which is set to start in a number of weeks.

The 38-year-old is set to begin his year at the Adelaide International, an ATP 500 event that he previously won back in 2023.

That will then lead into the Australian Open, where Djokovic will be competing for a record-extending 11th men’s singles title and a 25th Grand Slam title.

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Read Next: Stan Wawrinka Farewell: Stan The Man’s big wins against Big Three of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer

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Juan Carlos Ferrero will no doubt be a coach in demand following Carlos Alcaraz’s decision to part ways with his compatriot, but it remains to be seen if the former world No 1 will make an immediate return to coaching.

2003 French Open champion Ferrero started working with Alcaraz at the Ferrero Tennis Academy in 2018, but he only became his full-time personal coach in 2019 when the rising star was just 15 years old.

Two years later and he guided Alcaraz to his maiden ATP Tour title as he won the 2021 Croatia Open, but that was only the start of things to come as by the end of 2022 the youngster had won his first Grand Slam, the US Open, two ATP Masters 1000 titles and became the youngest-ever year-end No 1.

Success continued to flow as the Spaniard went on to win two Wimbledon titles, two French Open crowns and another US Open trophy to complete two Surface Slams at the age of 22.

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By the end of the 2025 season, Alcaraz – under the tutelate of Ferrero – had won 24 top-level trophies (six Grand Slams, eight Masters 1000s, eight ATP 500s and two ATP 250s), but then came the shock announcement that they are going their separate ways.

“Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when there are so many shared experiences behind it,” Ferrero said in his statement.

“We have worked hard, grown together, and shared unforgettable moments. I want to thank you for the time, the trust, the learning, and above all, for the people who have surrounded me throughout this journey.”

“Today, a very important chapter of my life comes to an end. I close it with nostalgia, but also with pride and excitement for what may come next. I know that everything I have lived has prepared me to be better.”

So what is to come next?

A source close to the 45-year-old has told CLAY and RG Media that the coaching door is still open, but Ferrero is unlikely to take up a new role immediately.

“He’s going to take a break. It could be two months or eight, and after that break, if something really interesting comes along, he’ll surely return to the circuit,” the insider said.

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Ferrero is likely to be more actively involved in coaching at the Ferrero Tennis Academy in Alicante, Spain, while he takes a well-deserved break from the hustle and bustle of the ATP Tour.

The Spaniard, whose impressive CV also has two Coach of the Year Awards as he won the prize in 2022 and 2025, will no doubt be looking to unearth the next big tennis star.

But Alcaraz was not the only ATP star that Ferrero has coached as he also had a stint as Alexander Zverev’s coach from July 2017 until February 2018.

Ranked No 11 at the time, Zverev won the ATP 500 Washington Open and ATP 1000 Canadian Open under Ferrero’s guidance as he rose to No 3.

However, it was a short spell as they parted ways shortly after Zverev lost in the third round of the Australian Open.

Zverev stated that they had a disagreement during the tournament, while Ferrero was unimpressed with the player’s professionalism.

The post What next for Juan Carlos Ferrero after shock Carlos Alcaraz departure? appeared first on Tennis365.

As Stan Wawrinka prepares for his final season on the ATP Tour, we look at a few of his biggest moments against the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Stan The Man has announced that the 2026 season will be his last as a professional tennis player as he will bring the curtain down on a successful career that spanned more than two decades after turning pro in 2002.

In an Instagram post, the 40-year-old wrote: “Every book needs an ending. It’s time to write the final chapter of my career as a professional tennis player. 2026 will be my last year on tour.”

The Swiss added: “I still want to push my limits and finish this journey on the best note possible. I still have dreams in this sport. I’ve enjoyed every part of what tennis has given me, especially the emotions I feel playing in front of you. I’m looking forward to seeing you one more time, all around the world.

“One last push.”

At his peak, Wawrinka was considered one of the best of his generation as he formed the Big Five along with Djokovic,  Nadal, Federer and Andy Murray.

The Swiss’ peak, though, was not as long as that of the Big Three as he won three Grand Slams compared to the double digits from Messrs Djokovic, Nadal and Federer and reached a career-high of No 2 in the ATP Rankings.

Wawrinka will also be the first to concede that he didn’t have the best of records against Djokovic, Nadal and Federer, but boy, when he turned it on against the Big Three it was often on the biggest stages at Grand Slam events.

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He played 63 matches against the Big Three – let’s not forget most of those were when the trio dominated the ATP Tour – and won only 12 of those matches, but they were all pretty significant.

The Swiss had a 3-23 win-loss record against Federer and was 3-19 against Nadal while he is currently 6-21 against Djokovic, although they could still meet the Serbian during his final season next year.

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Yet, all three of Wawrinka’s Grand Slam titles were won by beating one of them in the showpiece match as he defeated Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final while Djokovic was beaten at the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open.

Let’s look at those three titles as he beat the Big Three at some stage at all of those runs.

2014 Australian Open

Three-time defending champion Djokovic had won 14 matches in a row against Wawrinka and was 15-2 in the H2H when they met in the quarter-final of the season-opening Grand Slam.

Seeded eighth, the Swiss beat Djokovic 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 in a match that lasted more than four hours to end the Serbian’s 25-match winning streak at Melbourne Park.

After beating Tomas Berdych in four sets in the semi-final, Wawrinka then claimed his first-ever win over Nadal in the final.

The Spaniard was 12-0, but the Swiss beat him 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 to win his maiden Grand Slam title.

2015 French Open

Grand Slam title No 2 also came on the back of beating two Big Three players during his run as he accounted for Federer’s exit in the quarter-final and then beat Djokovic in the final.

World No 2 Federer was 16-2 ahead in the H2H rivalry when they met on the clay at Roland Garros, but he blew his compatriot away with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win and then followed it up win Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last four.

After beating the great Nadal in the quarter-final and Murray in the semi-final, world No 1 Djokovic must have thought he was on course for a first French Open crown.

But Stan The Man won 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 as he once again beat the world No 1 and world No 2 en route to the title.

2016 US Open

Seeded third this time, Wawrinka beat defending champion and world No 1 Djokovic 6–7 (1–7), 6–4, 7–5, 6–3 in the final.

That was his fifth win over Djokovic and second in a Grand Slam final.

The post Stan Wawrinka Farewell: Stan The Man’s big wins against Big Three of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has been warned that his decision to split from Juan Carlos Ferrero may have come too early in his career with retired ATP star Feliciano Lopez suggesting it may not have been the player himself who chose to end the relationship.

Following seven successful years, six-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz stunned the tennis world this week when he announced that he had parted company with 2003 French Open winner Ferrero.

The move was a bolt from the blue as the reigning world No 1 has enjoyed a successful 2025 season as he won the French Open and US Open, and three ATP Masters 1000 titles while he also finished the year at the top of the ATP Rankings.

Although Alcaraz himself was on good terms with his mentor, behind the scenes, members of his camp, including his father Carlos Alcaraz Senior, were reportedly unhappy with Ferrero.

And things came to a head during contract negotiations as Ferrero was given 48 hours to sign a new deal and, after he rejected the initial terms, it was decided the parties would go their separate ways.

During an interview with El Partidazo de COPE, Lopez made his feelings clear about the split as he said: “I feel a bit sorry about this split.”

The former world No 12 added: “I’m sad and surprised.

“I don’t know if Alcaraz is mentally prepared to face the rest of his career without Ferrero.”

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The pair started working together at the Ferrero Tennis Academy in 2018 and Ferrero was by Alcaraz’s side every step of the way for the biggest achievements in tennis to date.

Lopez warned that “I think it’s still a bit too soon to stop working with someone as important as Ferrero” adding that “Juan Carlos has been the most important person in his career, I think, along with his father”.

“I don’t know if Carlos Alcaraz will be mentally prepared to face what remains of his career, at least in the short term, without Juan Carlos Ferrero as his coach. That’s my opinion, and that’s why I’m a little saddened by this split,” he added.

The Spaniard also feels it is unlikely that the player himself decided to make this massive change.

“In Alcaraz’s case, I think he’s not making those decisions yet. I have doubts about whether Carlos was the one who really decided he didn’t want to continue with Juan Carlos,” he said.

As for suggestions there were “minor tensions”, Lopez feels that it is wide off the mark adding: “Yes, I would point more to the economic issue.”

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Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Gabriela Dabrowski have been recognised by the WTA for their contribution to women’s tennis while Amanda Anisimova’s mentor, Hendrik Vleeshouwers, has earned the Coach of the Year Award.

Reigning French Open champion Gauff has received the Jerry Diamond ACES Award for her tireless work to “promote women’s tennis to fans, media and local communities by taking part in off-court promotional and charitable activities”.

The world No 3 is well known for her charity as earlier in 2025 she donated $100,000 to UNCF (United Negro College Fund) to fund the Coco Gauff Scholarship Program while in November she surprised children at a local tennis clinic in New Orleans East in the United States.

The two-time Grand Slam winner hit with the kids at Joe Brown Park while she also delivered an encouraging speech and revealed how tennis has had a major impact on her life.

The Jerry Diamond ACES Award follows the International Tennis Writers’ Association (ITWA) Player Ambassador Award Gauff received in August as recognition for her willingness to speak to the media openly and honestly, even after defeats.

Pegula and Dabrowski’s Awards

World No 5 Pegula was honoured by her WTA athlete peers as she received the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award in “recognition of her gracious and considerate manner, support for fair play and respect for her fellow players”.

The American is well known for kind behaviour on and off the court and she follows in the footsteps of recent winners Ons Jabeur, who won the award from 2022 to 2024, Carla Suárez Navarro (2021) and Marie Bouzkova (2020).

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Four-times Grand Slam doubles winner Gabriela Dabrowski received the Peachy Kellmeyer Player Service Award for her outstanding support for her fellow players, as well as other initiatives on behalf of the wider player community.

It is the fourth time that the Canadian has earned the prize as she was also honoured in 2019, 2020 and 2022.

Coach of the Year

Hendrik Vleeshouwers was named Coach of the Year after he guided Anisimova to No 4 in the WTA Rankings following an outstanding 2025 campaign.

Anisimova, who also earned the Most Improved Player of the Year Award, started the season outside the top 30, but she surged into the top 20 in February after winning her maiden WTA 1000 title at the Qatar Open.

She then went on to reach her first Grand Slam final, finishing runner-up to Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon before losing the US Open final against Aryna Sabalenka. The American finished the year on a high as she won a second WTA 1000 trophy at the China Open.

But Vleeshouwers has been key to her rise as he started working with her midway during the 2024 season when she was ranked outside the top 150 in the world.

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It was the announcement that shocked the tennis world, and all eyes remain on Carlos Alcaraz and his team two days after he confirmed a sudden split from Juan Carlos Ferrero.

The world No 1 revealed the end of a near-seven-year-long partnership with coach Ferrero on Wednesday, with several reasons now being speculated for the sudden announcement.

With Ferrero no longer part of Alcaraz’s team, we look at how his entourage now appears to take shape, less than one month until the start of his 2026 campaign.

Samuel Lopez — Coach

Having previously stepped in on occasion to coach Alcaraz when Ferrero was absent, coach Lopez officially joined the Spaniard’s team ahead of the 2025 season.

It was a year that proved to be the most successful of Alcaraz’s career to date, and the 55-year-old was responsible for several key tweaks in the world No 1’s game, particularly on his serve.

With Ferrero now out of the picture, Lopez is currently Alcaraz’s sole coach for now — though it appears the rest of his team are keen on a new lead coach being appointed.

Carlos Alcaraz Sr — Father and key advisor

Carlos Alcaraz Sr is thought to be a key factor in his son’s split from Ferrero, with the relationship between the two men thought to have been in decline for some time.

Alcaraz tends to have either his father or his mother, Virginia, travelling with him to tournaments, and in recent months, it has tended to be Carlos Sr travelling with him.

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Carlos Sr appears to wield huge influence over his son’s career, and will likely remain a decisive factor in his entourage across 2026 and beyond.

Alvaro Alcaraz — Brother and hitting partner

Another common face in Alcaraz’s team is that of his older brother, Alvaro, who is himself a former player.

Alvaro is primarily his brother’s hitting partner at tournaments and during training sessions, though is also a close confidante of the world No 1.

Juanjo Moreno — Fitness coach

When Carlos Alcaraz bounced back from a shock ankle injury early on in his Japan Open campaign, there was one man he thanked: Juanjo Moreno.

Moreno has been a long-term fixture in the world No 1’s team and has proven highly important, helping Alcaraz bounce back from multiple injury issues across his career.

He was present for world No 1’s French Open and US Open triumphs in 2025, and looks set to remain a valued team member in 2026.

Fran Rubio — Physiotherapist

One of the more recent additions to Team Alcaraz, physiotherapist Rubio joined Alcaraz’s entourage in February 2025.

Rubio works alongside Moreno to manage the six-time Grand Slam champion’s health and fitness, and has known Alcaraz and his team for a long period.

Alberto Lledo — Trainer

Managing Alcaraz’s overall strength and conditioning training is Lledo, a hugely experienced fitness and personal trainer.

Lledo has been with the 22-year-old throughout his rise from a promising young talent to becoming one of the very best players in the world.

Albert Molina — Agent

Another huge influence in Alcaraz’s career is his agent, Albert Molina.

The former agent of fellow Spanish tennis players David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro, Molina has masterminded Alcaraz’s rise into becoming one of the most famous sportsmen in the world — and a lucrative figure for sponsors.

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Tim Henman has issued updates on Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper’s pre-season preparations ahead of the start of their 2026 campaigns at the United Cup.

Current British No 1’s Raducanu and Draper are currently in the middle of their pre-season training and will begin their 2026 seasons representing Great Britain in the mixed team competition.

A solid year for Raducanu saw the Brit finish the season ranked 29th in the world, her highest year-end ranking since 2021, and form a strong partnership with acclaimed coach Francisco Roig.

The 23-year-old and Roig have been working together in Barcelona in recent weeks ahead of the new season, after the world No 29 called an end to her 2025 campaign in October.

A breakthrough 2025 saw Draper win the first Masters 1000 title of his career in Indian Wells and then reach the Madrid Open final, climbing to a career-high of fourth in the ATP Rankings.

However, injury disrupted the Brit’s second half of the season, with Draper falling in the second round of Wimbledon and then playing just once more — reaching round two of the US Open before his withdrawal.

Former British No 1 Henman is Great Britain’s team captain at the United Cup, and has been following the progress of both players closely in recent weeks.

Speaking to the United Cup website, the former world No 4 issued a positive update on both Raducanu and Draper’s training.

He said: “[They are] moving in the right direction.

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“Obviously, Jack had a very difficult time … he’s building it up. He’s got Jamie Delgado now in his corner. So, a lot of experience there.

“He’s just got to keep working day in, day out to build it up so that he’s ready to be on the match court.

“Likewise with Emma, she’s been in Spain a bit with Francisco Roig, and she’s again looking to make sure she puts in the necessary work so that she can be ready to hit the ground running in Perth because we’re all aware of the matches we’ve got.”

Great Britain has been handed two interesting group-stage encounters in Perth, with an opening tie against Japan on January 4, before facing Greece the following day.

The clash versus Japan promises to pit Raducanu against former world No 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, in one of the biggest potential matches across the whole round-robin phase.

Meanwhile, the tie in Greece looks set to pit Raducanu against former top-10 star Maria Sakkari, while Draper will likely take on two-time Grand Slam runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“We play Japan first, and I think all eyes are on Raducanu and Osaka. They’re both US Open champions. They both love hard courts,” added Henman.

“They’ve played against each other before, and I think it just emphasises what a great event it is because you’ve got top players going against each other in the very first match.

“The following evening, when we play against Greece with Tsitsipas and Sakkari, two players who have been in the top five in the world, we’ve got to be ready. We’ve got to be on our game, and I think that’s exciting.”

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The shockwaves created by Carlos Alcaraz’s decision to part company with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero will continue to ripple through tennis for some time and the reasons behind the split add to the intrigue around this story.

Rumours surrounding the details behind the split started to emerge in the Spanish media on Thursday morning, with the Caneda Cope network among those breaking the news of a ‘strained’ relationship between Alcaraz and Ferrero, with journalist Javier de Diego then detailing some of the issues behind the contract negotiation that broke down while speaking on RNE Deportes.

It didn’t take long for the story to rip through the tennis world, with Tennis365 reporting the news that could have massive ramifications for Alcaraz’s short-term future.

The new deal offered to Ferrero for the 2026 season is reported to have included a big pay cut, but that was not the major problem that finally led to the break in the partnership, Tennis365 have been told.

We understand that Alcaraz’s inner circle had disagreements with Ferrero’s eagerness to be the leading voice in the camp, even though this has long become a much bigger operation.

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When Alcaraz was a junior coming through the ranks, Ferrero’s influence and experience was crucial to his development, but the dynamics have changed as Alcaraz has become a global superstar and there has been tension created by that.

Alcaraz was “not expecting” the split with Ferrero, even though the contract offer presented was a diluted agreement compared to previous years, but the split has thrown up some interesting dilemmas.

The world No 1 does a lot of his training at Ferrero’s Academy base and the entire set-up has been crucial to Alcaraz’s development, so where will he train now if Ferrero is not part of the set-up?

There is also a question over who will hit with Alcaraz during his practice sessions, as Sami Lopez will not be able to provide the 22-year-old with the kind of quality of practice he can get with former world No 1 Ferrero.

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Hitting partners will be eager to work with Alcaraz, but the removal of Ferrero from the camp creates a practical problem when it comes to practice sessions.

The uncertainty this split has created will give hope to players looking break up the dominance of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the top of the men’s game, with former British No 1 Greg Rusedski suggesting it could have an impact on next month’s Australian Open.

“I’ve never heard of a world No 1 parting coming with their coach mid-way through the off-season,” said Rusedski on his Off Court with Greg podcast.

“It also gives other players hope. When you end a relationship like that there is an emotional element as well.

“Everyone in the press will be asking Carlos why he split and that will be the big story heading into the Australian Open.

“What makes this partnership special is that Juan Carlos can walk away at any point and the same is true of Carlos. That isn’t always the case, as the coach tends to want to do all he can to stay around.

“It’s going to be tough for Carlos to replace that relationship and it may well have an impact on him at the Australian Open.”

If Alcaraz fails to shine as he looks to complete a career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, don’t be surprised to see a reunion with Ferrero, with the departed coach leaving the door open to that prospect after he confirmed he was keen to work with the player he has guided to six Grand Slam titles once again in the future.

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More details have emerged about Carlos Alcaraz’s and Juan Carlos Ferrero’s shock decision to go their separate ways with one person close to the latter revealing the relationship between the player’s father and coach had been in decline for some time.

The tennis world was taken aback this week when Alcaraz issued a shock statement as he revealed that “after more than seven years together, Juanki and I have decided to end our time together as coach and player”.

It was one of the most successful partnerships in recent history as 2003 French Open champion Ferrero led the youngster to 24 singles titles – including six Grand Slams and nine ATP Masters 1000 trophies – and to the top of the ATP Rankings.

And it’s not like Alcaraz suffered a loss of form in 2025 as he won the French Open US Open and six other tournaments this campaign, while he finished as the year-end No 1 for the second time in his career.

In his statement, the 22-year-old thanked Ferrero and added “Now, a time of change is upon us both, new adventures and new projects. But I’m certain that we’ll face them in the right way, giving our best, as we always have. Always adding value.”

Ferrero, meanwhile, paid tribute to his former player and added “I wish I could have continued”.

And many believe that statement from the former world No 1 was key as a source close to Ferrero has given insight to CLAY and RG Media about how things unfolded.

“What happened is very simple,” the source stated.

“The contract was annual. The 2025 contract ended at the end of November, and they waited until Saturday the 13th of this month to present a new one and until Monday the 15th at the first hour to sign it. Juan Carlos did not accept it, and they did not want to make any changes.”

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According to CLAY, when that contract arrived, he had two days to read and sign it. He made an obvious counter-offer that was not accepted.

‘And that was the end of it. There was no room for further negotiation, or more likely, no intention to continue. Neither the ‘Alcaraz clan’ nor Ferrero himself wanted to continue under the current conditions.’

It was not just the lack of contract that played a role in the “break-up” as the world No 1’s father, Carlos Alcaraz Senior, had not seen eye to eye with Ferrero as the publication added ‘The relationship between Ferrero and Alcaraz’s father had been deteriorating for some time.’

Another report stated that a source told CLAY and RG Media: “There were significant disagreements between Ferrero and Alcaraz’s father about how to manage the player’s career.”

The “Alcaraz clan” have made no further comments about what led to the breakdown or what is to follow for the six-time Grand Slam winner with the start of the 2026 season just around the corner.

The post ‘Relationship between Carlos Alcaraz’s father and Juan Carlos Ferrero had been deteriorating’ – sources appeared first on Tennis365.