Seven years and 24 tour-level titles later, Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero chose to go their separate ways in December 2025. It wasn’t an ending many expected after Alcaraz’s successful 2025 season, but both eventually turned the page, with Samuel Lopez stepping in as Alcaraz’s head coach while Ferrero took some time away from tennis. But 9 months later, Ferrero seems ready to return. And after everything he built with Alcaraz, the big question is, whose corner will he be in next?

For now, that’s a question fans will have to sit with. Ferrero has confirmed he’s coming back to tennis, but he’s keeping the biggest detail under wraps.

“I’ll return to the circuit, but I still can’t say with whom,” he told Movistar Deportes. After helping Alcaraz win six Grand Slam titles and reach World No. 1, Ferrero is hardly short of admirers on the Tour. Plenty of players would likely want the former coach in their corner. But if Ferrero has already found his next partnership, that could change the picture entirely.

Not to mention that Alcaraz also became the youngest World No. 1 in history at 19 years of age in 2022 after clinching the US Open title. But titles certainly weren’t the thing that defined the bond between Alcaraz and Ferrero.

They shared a special mentor-mentee connection, and Alcaraz even admitted he considered Ferrero a friend, not just his coach. The two were very close and didn’t have any known rifts throughout the seven-year stint.

“Juan Carlos is a very important person for me,” Alcaraz had said after winning the Miami Open in 2022. “On the professional side, on the personal side, he helps me a lot on both sides. When we are together, we will talk about everything in life, everything in our sport, about football, as well. I consider him a coach and a friend as well. So I can talk to him about everything.”

Notably, Alcaraz decided to part ways with Ferrero, even though 2025 was his most successful year on the Tour. He won two Grand Slam titles last year with Ferrero by his side. However, after their unexpected split, Ferrero was expected to join a new player’s team right away, but instead, the Spanish coach decided to take some time off to reflect.

After the split, coach Ferrero confessed, “We both need time to fully process this breakup. It’s not something easy. Right now, I’m hurting. These relationships are hard to walk away from overnight. There has to be a period of mourning. And, above all, I imagine it will hurt when I see him playing in tournaments — that’s when all the shared experiences come back. I think it will take time.”

Nevertheless, he had previously hinted at his return to the sport in April, but things didn’t quite materialize. Soon after, Ferrero even stated that he was open to coaching Jannik Sinner, leaving many shocked.

Juan Carlos Ferrero hinted at coaching Jannik Sinner in the future

Ferrero had said that he was open to coaching Sinner in the future. He praised the Italian’s work ethic and rapid rise to the top. The comments came at a time when Alcaraz was struggling with a wrist injury, and Sinner had taken over the No. 1 spot in the rankings.

“He’s extremely quick to understand what he has to improve,” he had said in an interview with Corriere della Sera in June. “Remember that Sinner-Alcaraz in Parigi Bercy in 2021, the first ATP match? Jannik only played cross-court at the time: no down the line, no drop shot, nothing like the player we see today. From a mentality point, he’s a rock. And he’s a sponge: he learns quick.”

“If I would coach him? Some months ago I would’ve said no: I wasn’t ready; the break with Carlos was too fresh. But now that I feel stronger, I would say, ‘Why not?’ Sinner loves to work hard, and he’s willing to do everything to stay #1. I like his attitude; it would be beautiful to coach him.”

Ferrero has previously been open to working with Sinner, but the Italian has not made any changes to his coaching team so far.

However, after staying away from tennis for some time, Ferrero now appears ready to return to the Tour. Given his resume, there is plenty of speculation about a potential partnership with a top player, but for now, nothing has been confirmed.