The tennis world is waiting to see how Carlos Alcaraz reacts to the shock exit of his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and former world No 7 Barbara Schett is predicting the split could have a big impact on the world No 1.
Alcaraz’s decision to part company with Ferrero was the big talking point of the off-season, as the partnership that produced six Grand Slam titles over the last three years came to a sudden end.
“With Juan Carlos, we decide to do it,” said Alcaraz, as he spoke about the split for the first time in public in Melbourne. “I’m just having plenty of confidence of the team that I have right now.
“It is something we just decided. I think chapter of life, that is a time that has to be end. We decided like this.
“I have to say that I’m really grateful for these seven years I’ve been with Juan Carlos. I learned a lot. Probably thanks to him I’m the player that I am right now.
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“Internally, we decided like this. We closed this chapter. We, as I said, both are still friends, good relationship. But we just decided like this.
“I have the same team that I had last year. Just one member missing. But the rest of the team, everyone are the same.
“We didn’t change the routine at all. We just going through the pre-season and the season in the same way, probably with the improvement that I really want to do.”
The sudden nature of the parting means Alcaraz is in Australia working with Sami Lopez as his lead coach and TNT Sports pundit Schett believes the fallout from the departure of Ferrero will only begin to affect the 22-year-old Spaniard when he is in the heat of battle in Melbourne.
“That’s the big question around Carlos and we I do think it will have an effect on him,” Schett told Tennis365.
“We don’t really know what happened, but by the sounds of it, Carlos and Juan Carlos wanted to continue and then there was some money issue.
“He has been in his corner for so many years. He was like a father to him. A coach, a mentor. Now that person is not there anymore.
“I’m sure that will take time to adjust to for Carlos and we will see if the doors will stay shut or if Juan Carlos comes and coaches someone else. Maybe they walk find their way back together again, I don’t know.”
Despite Ferrero’s departure from the Alcaraz camp, Schett believes the dominance of the young Spaniard and his great rival Jannik Sinner will continue in 2026.
The duo have shared the last eight Grand Slam titles between them and Schett is convinced that run will continue.
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“The gap between Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and the rest is so huge,” added Schett.
“I don’t know if it has ever been so big, even in the days of the ‘Big 3’, you had Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and other players who had a chance to win. Federer, Nadal and Djokovic did dominate, but not like Carlos and Jannik have done, as they are so far ahead.
“I can’t see anyone else winning a Grand Slam title if they are both fit. If one of them is injured, it may be a different story, but who can beat both of them in the same tournament? I just don’t see it.
“Maybe someone like Taylor Fritz can beat one of them, but can he back it up? [Alexander] Zverev is too defensive, and you look at Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, I don’t think they are consistent enough and they have flaws in their game.
“I just don’t see anyone challenging those two guys in the Grand Slams right now.”
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