Juan Carlos Ferrero, the former coach of tennis superstar Carlos Alcaraz, has admitted he is 'hurting' following their shock separation earlier this month, but has intriguingly left the door open to a future role with Alcaraz's great rival, Jannik Sinner.
A Painful End to an Eight-Year Partnership
The coaching partnership, which spanned almost eight years and yielded two Grand Slam titles in 2025 at the US Open and French Open, came to a surprising end in December. Ferrero, a former French Open champion himself, was also named the ATP's coach of the year for the season, a role he shared with Samuel Lopez. Despite the success, Alcaraz confirmed the split, moving his training base away from Ferrero's academy in Villena to remain at home in Murcia.
In a candid interview with Spanish newspaper Marca, the 45-year-old Ferrero expressed his deep regret. "I wish I could have continued," he stated, while firmly dismissing financial motivations for the breakup. "Money wasn't one of the problems," Ferrero insisted, suggesting that contractual matters needing review and a potential lack of communication played a part. "It's possible that some of those issues could have been resolved if we had sat down to talk," he reflected.
Ferrero Eyes Future Return, Possibly with Sinner
While the split is clearly raw, Ferrero has already begun to contemplate a return to the tour. He acknowledged needing a period of two to three months to process the emotions, describing it as a necessary "period of mourning." "Right now, I'm hurting," he confessed. "I still think about Carlos every day."
However, when asked about the potential of joining the team of world number one Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz's fiercest contemporary rival, Ferrero did not rule it out. "It is something I would have to think about," he said. "They're extraordinary players, but as I said before, now is not the time... Right now, it's time to get through the difficult phase." This admission will undoubtedly fuel speculation in the tennis world about a major coaching shake-up.
Alcaraz's Path Forward and Historical Ambition
Carlos Alcaraz has not yet named a permanent replacement for Ferrero. It is possible Samuel Lopez will take on a broader role as the young Spaniard prepares for the Australian Open in January, a tournament where he has never progressed past the quarter-finals.
Despite the professional separation, Ferrero's belief in his former protégé's talent remains unshaken. He reiterated his conviction that Alcaraz "has the potential to be the best tennis player in history," even while acknowledging the stiff competition from past legends and the current threat posed by Jannik Sinner. The coming months will reveal how both champion and coach navigate this significant change.
