Juan Carlos Ferrero, the former coach of six-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz, has revealed that disagreements between him and Alcaraz’s team over a new contract led to them splitting as a player-coach pair before the start of the new season.
Alcaraz had announced the decision to split with Ferrero on social media last week, a few weeks before the start of the new season.
“Well, let’s see, everything seemed to be going well. It’s true that when a year ends, certain things need to be reviewed regarding contracts. And as with any new contract, looking ahead to the following year, there were certain things we disagreed on. As with all contracts, one side pulls in one direction and the other in another. Carlos’s camp thinks about what’s best for him, and mine thinks about what’s best for me.”
“There were certain issues on which both parties disagreed. Perhaps they could have been resolved if we had sat down to talk, but in the end, we didn’t, and we decided not to continue. That’s really what happened. There are points I won’t go into detail about, but we disagreed on them, and ultimately, we went our separate ways,” Ferrero told Marca in an interview.
He further said that he was “hurting” just over a week after ending his time as the Spaniard’s coach. Ferrero said that he assumed it would hurt him to watch Alcaraz in action, not from the stands but from a different location.
“I think maybe we both need some time to fully process this breakup. It’s not so easy. Right now, I’m hurting. These kinds of relationships are difficult to end overnight. And there has to be a grieving period. And, above all, I suppose it will also hurt when I see him play in tournaments. A lot of shared experiences come into play there. I think it’s going to take some time,” he added.
Ferrero revealed that plans were in place for him to travel with Alcaraz for the 2026 Australian Open before they decided to split the partnership. He added that he and Alcaraz had an “emotional connection” and things turned upside down at the end.
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“Yes, yes. It’s clear that it’s been a radical change for everyone. Adapting isn’t easy. For me, obviously, it’s not a pleasant time at all. In the end, it’s a long-standing relationship where we’ve been through a lot together, and you develop a strong bond. We had this emotional connection during training, and we experienced every important situation that arose with him in tournaments very intensely. In the end, everything has been turned upside down,” Ferrero said.
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