There is so much speculation on what happened to end the seven year coaching relationship between World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero. JCF, along with Samuel Lopez, were just named the ATP Coaches of the Year a few days ago.
Samu and Ferrero have received the ATP Coach of the Year award for their work with Alcaraz 🎾🏆
A few words from them 🎥💙 pic.twitter.com/Rt9j4sHrXo
— Alcaraz Updates🐝 (@alcarazzupdates) December 11, 2025
It appears that Lopez is staying onboard, and it is being reported that Alcaraz plans to train at Juan Carlos Ferrero’s Tennis Academy per usual.
Alcaraz’s preseason is planned at the Ferrero Academy, he’s still working with his team from the Ferrero academy, including Samu
Sad to see rumors flying with zero evidence about Ferrero being fired
“I would have liked to continue” can mean many things. Not the time for rumors pic.twitter.com/58C6Qx4h7N
— Alcaraz Updates🐝 (@alcarazzupdates) December 17, 2025
Spanish tennis is a tightknit group which makes it possible that Alcaraz and Ferrero could work together in some capacity again.
What Caused The Carlos Alcaraz – Juan Carlos Ferrero Split?
I suspect we will find out the truth in the coming days because both Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero will be asked about this.
Six grand slams and seven years. At first, the Ferrero Alcaraz split caught me off guard. That’s a long time, especially when it worked as well as it did.
But it makes sense. Ferrero helped turn ridiculous, raw talent into discipline.
At some point though, even great…
— Pamela Maldonado (@pamelam35) December 17, 2025
In the end, all coaching arrangements unless biological parents are involved, end, and even some of the parental ones also end over a decades long professional tennis career. JCF also has a family at home, and who knows if he did not want to spend more time with them and less time touring in 2026. He has not traveled with Alcaraz in the past when he had health issues requiring surgery or rest at home. Could health and well being be a factor also?
Ironically, everyone thought that Alcaraz’s chief rival, World No. 2 Jannik Sinner, would start 2026 without his principal coach, Darren Cahill, who initially announced his retirement but agreed to stay onboard. No one expected Alcaraz to have a major team shakeup in 2026.
Samuel Lopez at the helm, without JCF’s tennis mind imposing in-match strategic advice, will immediately be put to the test as Alcaraz’s least successful Grand Slam, the Australian Open, is about a month away. Alcaraz has made no secret that he wants to win this one sooner rather than later so that he can complete the career Grand Slam. Alcaraz is vying to become the ninth man in history to complete this feat joining the esteemed group of Don Budge, Fred Perry, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.
