Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero’s seven-year partnership has come to an end.
On Wednesday, the Spaniard posted a message on Instagram confirming the shocking news, ending a collaboration that saw Alcaraz capture six Grand Slam titles.
Ferrero first saw Alcaraz play tennis when he was 15 years old at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy, and the pair began working together on a formal basis in 2019.
Under Ferrero’s tutelage, Alcaraz swiftly rose up the ranks, capturing his first Grand Slam title and the world number one spot at the 2022 US Open.
What do you make of Carlos Alcaraz’s decision to part ways with Juan Carlos Ferrero?
The year prior, Alcaraz competed in the Next Gen Finals – a tournament designed to showcase the best young ATP Tour talents.
Ahead of the Finals, Ferrero took part in an extended interview, in which he discussed his protégé’s development as a tennis player and as a person.
Juan Carlos Ferrero was most proud of Carlos Alcaraz’s loyalty to those he loves
In an interview with the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2021, Ferrero discussed his admiration for Alcaraz’s loyalty to those he loves.
“He’s very loyal to the people he loves,” Ferrero began.
“The people that work with him really recognise that, because of how he is now and not because of who he is becoming. I really value what a great kid he is. From the start I think we connected very well.
“I really value that it’s a simple relationship and that the daily work between us is easy. Ultimately, so much travel and so much time together requires peaceful relationships. I really value that loyalty and that trust.
“Then we get to the question of whether or not he is a hard worker, if he is dedicated or not. I’m a very strict person when it comes to work and he has gradually had to incorporate things that he didn’t have and that I told him were very important.
“At first, he found it tough but then he understood that in the end it’s a way of life. He gradually learned these things and there is merit in that because that wasn’t the case at the beginning.”
Carlos Alcaraz exceeded Juan Carlos Ferrero’s expectations in 2021
Earlier in the interview, Ferrero was asked whether he thought Alcaraz had exceeded his expectations that year.
Ferrero replied: “Yes, one of the expectations we had was to be ranked around number 50. In terms of that number, he has exceeded expectations.
“We could also mention that he has played against top players and been able to compete on their level – and even beat them, as was the case with [Stefanos] Tsitsipas and [Matteo] Berrettini, even [Jannik] Sinner, who is another of the most promising young players.
Carlos Alcaraz WILL complete the Career Grand Slam before Jannik Sinner – discuss…
“It’s true that he has exceeded those expectations and shown that his game peaks at a very high level that we have to try and maintain so that he can play like that continuously.
Carlos will continue to climb. Right now, he’s a bit like Son Goku [from Dragonball Z], when he started to transform and then lost power. It’s a little joke I have with him.
“But it’s true that those peaks at such a high level are because he’s a very dynamic player who can do a lot of things on court and on any surface.”
In 2021, Alcaraz rose from world number 141 to 32, winning his first ATP Tour title at the Umag Open in Croatia.
Later that year, Alcaraz won the Next Gen Finals, defeating Sebastian Korda 4–3, 4–2, 4–2. Alcaraz was the youngest player in a draw that included Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune.
The superstar talent wasted little time making his mark, winning his first Masters 1000 title at the 2022 Miami Open.
As mentioned previously, Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam at the 2022 US Open and has since won five more major titles, most recently the 2025 US Open.
This year, the Spaniard has won eight titles – including two Grand Slams – and reclaimed the world number one spot from Jannik Sinner.
However, Alcaraz’s efforts were not enough to win the ITF Men’s Singles World Champion award.
Alcaraz will head into 2026 hoping to win the Australian Open, an achievement that would complete the career Grand Slam.
