Carlos Alcaraz has stormed towards the top of the tennis pantheon in what has been a short yet hugely successful career, winning four Grand Slam titles and reaching world No 1 all before the age of 22.
A large chunk of Alcaraz’s success has been down to the impact of Juan Carlos Ferrero, himself a world No 1 and Grand Slam winner, who has coached his compatriot since he was a teenager.
However, while Ferrero remains a crucial part of Alcaraz’s set up, the 21-year-old is also now supported by coach Samuel Lopez, who joined the Spaniard’s entourage in December 2024.
It is fair to say that Lopez has brought a wealth of experience that has already worked to Alcaraz’s benefit, and could prove crucial ahead of a busy summer.
Coaching experience
Lopez briefly pursued a short playing career, but quickly turned to coaching, with Ferrero among the first players he worked with.
The 54-year-old assisted Ferrero’s long-time coach Antonio Martínez Cascales, though would later form his own path as a lead coach.
Lopez worked with the likes of Guillermo Garcia Lopez, Santiago Ventura, and Mariusz Fyrstenberg, though he is probably best known for his successful partnership with Pablo Carreno Busta.
Starting in November 2015, Lopez coached his compatriot for nine years, helping Carreno Busta reach the greatest heights of his career.
Under Lopez’s guidance, Carreno Busta won seven ATP Tour titles – including the 2022 Canadian Open title – and reached the 2017 and 2020 US Open semi-finals, alongside two French Open quarter-finals.
Carreno Busta reached a career-high of world No 10 during their partnership, and also won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.
The pair parted ways in December 2024, when it was announced that Lopez would be joining the Alcaraz entourage.
Alcaraz connection
Through his relationship with Ferrero, Lopez already had a connection with Alcaraz before their official launch of their new partnership at the end of 2024.
And, Lopez already had experience guiding the four-time Grand Slam champion to big titles.
Lopez was part of Alcaraz’s team at the 2022 Miami Open, when an 18-year-old Alcaraz claimed the first of his six Masters 1000 titles to date.
He was also part of Alcaraz’s team during the Spaniard’s run to the Queen’s Club title back in 2023, and coached him during the 2024 Australian Open while Ferrero was recovering from knee surgery.
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New partnership
Alcaraz has been the subject of sustained criticism throughout points in 2025, which may seem unfair considering he is (as of this current week) No 1 in the ATP Race to Turin.
However, while there have been bumps in the road for him at points through the early stages of this season, there has been obvious success.
The Spaniard won the first indoor title of his career at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam back in February, before claiming his first Monte Carlo Masters title last week – his sixth Masters title, and first since March 2024.
Lopez was Alcaraz’s lead coach in Monte Carlo, with Ferrero absent, and also took the reins in for the world No 2’s triumph in Rotterdam.
Speaking to Eurosport after Alcaraz’s triumph in Rotterdam, Lopez revealed how he, Ferrero, and the rest of the set-up were encouraging their charge to continue finding his own identity on court.
He said: “We have put a lot of emphasis on him being himself. Being very clear about what he has to do, his routines, his attitude, being above all else.
“Worrying a lot about that and not so much about tennis, and then building Carlos Alcaraz. He is achieving this.
“It is one of the objectives we set ourselves in the preseason. Things are not easy, but we have taken another step this week.
“We have to continue along this line. He is not at an advanced age, because he is very young, but he does have some tennis experiences in which he has to get to know himself more and more.”
All eyes will be on how Lopez’s influence continues to help Alcaraz ahead of a busy few months.
Alcaraz faces a big clay court swing with few ranking points to defend until the defence of his French Open title, while he will search for a third straight Wimbledon crown later this summer.
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