Juan Carlos Ferrero breaks silence on Carlos Alcaraz split, calls it “bad news for tennis”

Juan Carlos Ferrero broke his silence on Wednesday, Christmas Eve, in an interview with Spain’s public broadcaster TVE, offering his first public account of the high-profile split with Carlos Alcaraz, the player he has coached throughout Alcaraz’s entire rise at the top level of the sport.

The former world No. 1 from Valencia said he feels saddened by the separation but stressed that he has no interest in assigning blame. He also emphasized that his relationship with the rest of Alcaraz’s team remains strong.

“It’s normal to feel sad,” Ferrero said. “I think it’s sad news for the tennis world. We were a very close-knit team, and in the end, for certain reasons, we couldn’t continue. I think all of us are a little sad.”

Ferrero hints at reason for Alcaraz split

Ferrero declined to go into specific details about how or why the partnership ended, saying the issue came down to contractual differences rather than personal or professional conflict.

“At the end of every year, you always review the contract a bit, in case there are any changes, especially on their side,” he explained. “In the end, there were certain points we couldn’t agree on. I’m obviously not going to get into details, but they thought some things were best one way, I thought differently, and we couldn’t reach an agreement.”

What Ferrero was unequivocal about was the atmosphere around Alcaraz. He firmly rejected the idea that tensions or internal issues played any role in the decision.

“The relationship is good with everyone,” he said. “You have to accept it and try to move forward.”

Former coach open to Alcaraz return

Rather than focusing on the ending, Ferrero chose to highlight what the partnership achieved.

“I’m left with the experiences and the memories,” he said. “We lived a very beautiful story. He was a player with incredible potential, and both the team and I were able to bring out those dreams he had inside him and help make them come true.”

Ferrero also made it clear that this does not have to be a permanent goodbye. From his perspective, the door remains open to working together again down the line.

“This wouldn’t be the way I’d want it to end,” he said. “We lived something very special. The affection will always be there, even if we don’t agree on everything. Friendship is another matter, and I think that will stay exactly the same.”

He added that he wishes Alcaraz and his team nothing but success moving forward.

“I truly wish him and the whole team an incredible 2026, with lots of success,” Ferrero said. “That he keeps growing as a player, which was always the main goal for all of us. Closing the door completely, I’d like that not to be the case.”

Ferrero’s advice for Alcaraz

Reflecting on his time with Alcaraz, Ferrero described the legacy of their work together as something to be remembered fondly.

“We’ll all look back on it very positively,” he said. “The legacy is beautiful, from the heart.”

As for what comes next, Ferrero offered advice as Alcaraz prepares for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of his career he will play under a different coach.

“He has to train with the same desire and commitment as always and prepare as well as possible for a tournament he obviously really wants to win,” Ferrero said. “From the inside, we always tried to approach it with normality and without too much pressure. I think that’s what he has to do now. Go for it, and that’s it.”

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