Carlos Alcaraz’s split with Juan Carlos Ferrero has caused fears among fans and pundits, who believe the Spaniard could struggle without his mentor.
Ferrero oversaw all six of Alcaraz’s Grand Slam titles, but they confirmed their split in December with emotional social media posts.
Marion Bartoli said Alcaraz’s schedule choices caused Ferrero’s exit, while financial reasons have also been touted by pundits.
Bartoli has expressed her worry for Alcaraz and even suggested that the split could cause an early retirement for the Spaniard.
Marion Bartoli says Carlos Alcaraz could retire soon
Speaking to RMC Sports, Bartoli theorised that Alcaraz’s split with Ferrero could cause a loss of confidence for the Spaniard.
“I am worried, but in a measured way, because he is someone who has exceptional qualities to begin with. But he needs structure because otherwise, he could end up quitting tennis like Borg did at 25.”
What do you make of Marion Bartoli’s comments? Do you think there is any chance of Alcaraz retiring before 25?
Alcaraz has worked with Ferrero since his arrival on the ATP Tour and Bartoli believes he could struggle to find chemistry with another coach.
“And we have a genius here, so we don’t want that; we want him to continue for a very, very long time. What’s going to happen is that for the first six months, it’s going to be a trial-and-error process.”
Bartoli believes that Alcaraz could revert back to Ferrero if he fails to win one of the first two Grand Slams of the year.
“There will be names circulating, people wondering who will take the job, who won’t. If things don’t work out with the person he hires for whatever reason, and it’s Sinner who starts taking the first two Grand Slams of the season — that is, the Australian Open, where Jannik is the overwhelming favourite, and Roland Garros, where he was one point away from winning it — he’s going to call Juan Carlos back immediately, that’s obvious.”
Alcaraz is back in action at a South Korean exhibition event against Sinner before the Australian Open.
Carlos Alcaraz’s record without Juan Carlos Ferrero
Alcaraz’s split with Ferrero might have come as a shock, but the star knows how to win without his coach at tournaments.
Who would you like to see become Carlos Alcaraz’s new coach?
Ferrero has sporadically missed tournaments throughout the years, with Samuel Lopez taking the helm for Alcaraz.
Alcaraz’s coach was not present for the 2022 Miami Open, 2023 Queen’s Club Championships, 2024 Australian Open, 2025 Qatar Open, 2025 Monte Carlo Masters, 2025 Cincinnati Masters, and the 2025 Japan Open.
And how did Alcaraz get on without Ferrero in his box? Incredibly well, it turns out.
The star won five of those seven tournaments without Ferrero, and reached the quarter-finals in the other two.
Alcaraz actually has a 94.3% win rate when Ferrero has missed tournaments, so he should be confident heading into 2026.
