Juan Carlos Ferrero finally broke his silence about his shocking split from Carlos Alcaraz. And honestly? The details are pretty surprising.
Nobody saw this coming when the tennis world’s most successful coaching partnership suddenly ended this off-season.
It wasn’t about tennis. It wasn’t about performance. It was about contract negotiations for 2026 that just couldn’t get sorted out.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz | 22 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
What Really Went Down
Ferrero, who’s 45, told Spanish outlet MARCA exactly what happened behind closed doors. The former world No. 1 had already hinted he wanted to keep working together, but now we’re getting the full story.
"Everything seemed to be going well," Ferrero explained. "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."
Sounds pretty standard so far, right? But here’s where it gets interesting.
"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."
The kicker? They never even sat down to hash it out properly.
"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 got to sting a little. All those Grand Slam victories and breakthrough moments, and it ends because nobody wanted to have an awkward conversation.
"There are points I won’t go into detail about, but we disagreed on them, and ultimately, we went our separate ways."
It Wasn’t About Money
Here’s where Ferrero really wants to set the record straight. Spanish media had been buzzing about financial disagreements, but the coach is having none of it.
"The financial aspect has been brought up. And I’ve shown from a very young age that it wasn’t the most important thing for me," he said firmly.
Ferrero pointed out that Alcaraz’s team had actually been really generous over the years. He’s not some money-grabbing coach looking for a bigger payday.
"There’s been talk that I asked for more, and it’s true that they’ve always been very generous with a very high percentage for those early years when I was so involved with it. And I appreciate that."
He made it crystal clear: "In the end, I’ve tried to make it clear that the financial issue wasn’t one of the problems, nor was it the reason I was in this project."
So what was it about then? Ferrero’s keeping those details to himself.
The Timing Makes It Worse
What makes this whole situation even more painful is how recent everything was going great. After Alcaraz’s season ended at the ATP Finals in Turin, everyone thought they’d be continuing together.
"It’s been a very good year, and when it ended in Turin, it’s true that we all had the idea that we were going to continue," Ferrero revealed.
"Then what happened, happened, and we went our separate ways, but initially the idea was to continue."
That’s pretty heartbreaking when you think about it. One day you’re planning for another year together, the next day you’re announcing a split that shocks the tennis world.
What’s Next for Ferrero
The offers are already pouring in. Other ATP players want to work with the coach who helped turn Alcaraz into a multiple Grand Slam champion.
But Ferrero’s not ready. Not even close.
"Yes, I have received some offers, but it’s not the right time," he admitted. "I want to be at peace, and I have feelings."
You can hear the emotion in his words. This wasn’t just a business partnership for him.
"It’s impossible for me to take on someone else right now because my mind is still there, and it would be very complicated. Right now, it would be impossible."
That tells you everything you need to know about how invested Ferrero was in Alcaraz’s career. After years of building something special together, he’s not ready to just move on to the next player.
The tennis world is still trying to process this split. When one of the sport’s most successful partnerships ends over contract negotiations that apparently could have been worked out with a simple conversation, it makes you wonder what really went wrong behind the scenes.
For now, Ferrero’s taking time to heal. And honestly? After everything he’s given to Alcaraz’s career, he’s probably earned that break.
