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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