Carlos Alcaraz’s rise to the top of men’s tennis was built on trust, stability, and a partnership that seemed unbreakable. So when news broke that Juan Carlos Ferrero was no longer by his side, the shock wasn’t just about the split – it was about how quietly everything appeared to fall apart. Now, as new details surface, the breakup looks far more complicated than a simple mutual decision. Ferrero recently released a statement about the split on social media, which instantly raised eyebrows. “I wish I could have continued.”

It was honest, almost wistful. And it made one thing clear: this wasn’t a clean emotional break, nor was it a coach walking away by choice. Behind the scenes, tensions had apparently been simmering for a while.

A source very close to Alcaraz during his most successful years told CLAY that “there were major disagreements between Ferrero and Alcaraz’s father about how to manage the player’s career.”

Those words add an entirely new layer to the narrative. This wasn’t just about tactics, training blocks, or scheduling tournaments. It was about control, vision, and the future of one of tennis’s brightest stars. Moreover, according to Javier de Diego, a tennis specialist for Radio Nacional de España (RNE):

“The relationship broke down two days ago after failing to reach an agreement in the negotiation of the new contract.” Ferrero, a former world number one himself, has long been credited with shaping Carlos Alcaraz not just as a player, but as a competitor capable of handling pressure well beyond his years. Their partnership felt built on trust and shared ambition. But when multiple voices enter the room – especially family voices with strong opinions – that balance can quickly tip. And this isn’t new in tennis!

According to CLAY, Ferrero and Alcaraz’s father had a heated argument when the coach announced that he wouldn’t be joining the South American tour in February 2023. Ferrero was delegating that responsibility to his former coach, Antonio Martinez Cascales. Although Alcaraz did quite well after that, perhaps that argument between them had left a dent in the coach’s relationship with Alcaraz’s father.

For Carlos Alcaraz, this marks the end of a defining chapter in his young career. Under Juan Carlos Ferrero, he won six Grand Slam titles, eight ATP Masters 1000 titles and also became the youngest player to reach the number one in the ATP Rankings after winning the US Open in 2022 at 19.

Ferrero turned Alcaraz’s childhood dreams into realities. But now, it’s perhaps time for Samuel Lopez to guide Carlitos to another dream-come-true moment in his career: a Career Grand Slam. Only time will tell how many titles Alcaraz will win in the ‘Post-Ferrero Era.’ But how did the tennis world react to this split, and what did Alcaraz write in his message?

Tennis stars react to Carlos Alcaraz’s heartfelt post about his longtime coach

Carlos Alcaraz‘s decision to part ways with longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero continues to ripple through the tennis world, and now two Grand Slam greats have weighed in. Recently, Alcaraz announced his split with Ferrero through a social media post, which had a long message attached to it.

“It is very difficult for me to write this post… After more than seven years together, Juanki and I have decided to end our time together as coach and player… You’ve helped me grow as an athlete, but above all, as a person. And something I value immensely: I’ve enjoyed the process. That’s what I’ll cherish, the journey we’ve shared.” Seeing this post, 5x Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova dropped an emoji (“🥹”), while the 3x Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka commented, “What a team 👏🏻❤️🙏🏻.”

For Carlos Alcaraz, the road ahead is filled with questions and possibilities. For Juan Carlos Ferrero, the farewell appears tinged with unfinished business. And for the tennis world, reactions like Sharapova’s and Wawrinka’s serve as a reminder that even at the highest level, some splits hurt precisely because they mattered so much.

But coming to these reactions, we need to mention what Kikor Navarro, the first coach of Alcaraz, had to say about the split. Well, in an interview with RNE Deportes, he claimed that Alcaraz didn’t make the decision.

“It was more from the environment than from the player; Carlitos is very protective of his coaches. He was with me, and I know he was with Juan Carlos, but there comes a moment when, due to reasons not related to him or sports, they have made this decision. Juan Carlos has done a spectacular job; I worked with him for two years, and there is little to blame him for. The people who made the decision, which is not Carlitos, will have their reasons, which I don’t know now.”

Having said that, he also backed Samuel Lopez as his new head coach, but also mentioned that Carlos Alcaraz may need a second person with a higher profile to manage the long season. What are your thoughts on this bold decision, and do you think this move will impact Alcaraz’s performance at the start of the 2026 season?