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Seven years.

An lifetime in the world of coach-player relationships.

But those relationships are rarely forever. And so on Wednesday, world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz announced that he and longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero had come to the end of the road.

It comes seemingly out of nowhere. And so there is undoubtedly much more fallout to come.

Update: Given the high profile of both in Spain and globally – and the seeming reality that Ferrero did not want to leave – there will be a veritable buffet of leaks coming out about this news.

First up: Marca, a reputable media outlet.

Marca reports that Ferrero received a new contract offer on Saturday, that had a 48-hour expiration date on it. It included a “significant salary reduction”. The story states that wasn’t the sticking point, as much as other conditions.

In response, the media outlet “La Verdad”, which is the Alcaraz’s local newspaper and would – you’d expect – be happy to counter any criticism happily – has another version. It doesn’t have anyone on the record. But it’s not hard to figure out who they spoke to.

It says that Ferrero, sensing the Alcaraz family was preparing to relocate their son’s training base to their own academy, started making moves. There’s no doubt having Alcaraz as the home star at the Ferrero Academy was a reputational boost that helped attact other talent. And also that the Alcaraz family knew that they could build what had been a minor-league academy into a bigger facility on the back of their son – and also save him the 115-km commute to Ferrero’s academy as he continued to live at home.

As well, it says that Alcaraz’s father “couldn’t understand” why Ferrero “skipped so many trips”. Those included a South American swing and a couple of the early-season 1000s (Monte Carlo and Cincinnati are mentioned). It also claims that top-20 players were “always accompanied by their coach at every tournament”. And that they were annoyed that Ferrero left Paris quickly after the early exit at the Paris Masters in October.

They considered the “the appropriate course of action at that moment was to thoroughly analyze the defeat, support Alcaraz, and lift his spirits ahead of the upcoming ATP Finals in Turin.”

Like he was six years old. Or something.

La Verdad doesn’t claim that the salary reduction accusation is false. Rather, it posits that “the fixed salary and (prize-money) percentages could have been negotiated”. Even though it was already mid-December. Which is a nice spin but doesn’t really debunk it.

Nadal did it with Uncle Toni

The truth likely lies somewhere in the middle, a combination of both.

Ferrero has a family, and a business, in addition to his mentorship of Alcaraz. And he likely sacrificed a fair bit to be constantly at his side for seven years, a decision that paid off handsomely. Eventually, though obviously not at first. He invested a lot in him.

But it is also true that after seven years, for a player at No. 1 and now an adult in his 20s to insist Ferrero remain constantly by his side to hold his hand is just a weird sort of position to take. It infantilizes Alcaraz. And it also sends a message that he’s unable to function without him.

As a comparison, as his compatriot Rafael Nadal’s career went on, he no longer had Uncle Toni constantly on his side Rather, he added Francisco Roig as a coach and often had him there precisely in those situations – those early 1000s at the start of a long clay or hard-court swing.

That feels like a natural evolution; in so many ways, Ferrero’s work is done.

If he wanted the same financial conditions while spending fewer weeks on the road, that obviously would be a deal-breaker. But you don’t get the sense this was the biggest issue; even the La Verdad piece posits those “could have been negotiated”.

So, to sum up, adding one and one, the Alcarazs appear to have demanded the one thing Ferrero no longer wanted to do – be there 24/7. Even if that wasn’t even something that should be a deal-breaker at this point. Whether they did it because they truly believe their adult son couldn’t function without it, or whether it was because it gave them an out to pursue their own financial interests with their academy – or both – that seems to be the crux of the matter.

Lopez to step in

Kiko Navarro, who was Alcaraz’s coach as a teen and worked side-by-side with Ferrero for two years at the start of their relationship, indicated the decision might not have been made by Alcaraz himself.

Former Spanish star and Madrid tournament director Feliciano Lopez also said he didn’t think Alcaraz was the one making the decision.

RNE reports that Alcaraz will work with Samuel Lopez, the longtime former coach of countryman Pablo Carreño Busta who joined the team as an associate coach this past year.

Ferrero, a former No. 1 player and Grand Slam champion himself, had been the architect Alcaraz’s rise to the very top of men’s tennis, and from a very young age.

So many players get near the top and hire a coach like Ferrero, to add those little missing touches as they get close to the of the pyramid.

Alcaraz had that from the get-go – a huge advantage for a young, talented kid on the way up.

Here’s what he posted on Instagram.

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Carlos Alcaraz Garfia (@carlitosalcarazz)

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A rough translation:

It’s 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.

Thank you for turning my childhood dreams into reality.

We started this journey when I was just a kid, and throughout this time you’ve accompanied me on an incredible journey, both on and off the court. And I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every step of it with you.

We reached the top, and I feel that if our sporting paths had to diverge, it should be from up there. From the place we always worked for and always aspired to reach.

So many memories are flooding back that choosing just one wouldn’t be fair. 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 take with me, the journey we’ve shared.

Now, a time of change is upon us both, new adventures and new projects. But I’m certain that we’ll face them in the right way, giving our best, as we always have. Always adding value.

I sincerely wish you all the best in everything that comes your way. I’m comforted by the knowledge that we gave our all, that we offered everything to each other.

Thank you for everything, Juanki! ❤️

Ferrero exiting reluctantly, but gracefully

This split announcement was coordinated, which will happen when there are adults in the room for a parting of the ways.

Here’s Ferrero’s statement. Notable is a line at the end where he writes that he “wishes he could have continued”.

No matter how often players and coaches SAY it’s mutual, it rarely is. So that tells you something. Certainly Ferrero did not evoke – as some coaches have – a need to focus on his growing children, or his eponymous academy, or being tired of the grind on the road. Or anything.

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Juan Carlos Ferrero (@juankiferri)

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So it’s an Alcaraz decision; that, one can reasonably conclude. Ferrero (along with Lopez) had just been named ATP coaches of the year.

From boy to man – a challenging transition

Alcaraz was just 15 when Ferrero took on the task of taking a young and talented junior to greatness.

https://youtu.be/uxKxDCoho-8?si=N6uf_GQQTTfCyR1a

Most kids don’t have the luxury of having such a high-level setup available to them at that age. There are a lot of dads, a lot of development coaches from their federation, and other options within the limits of what they can afford at that time.

But Alcaraz was different. From a very young age, he was pegged as a great one and had the backing and sponsorship that comes with that. And so he had the resources behind him to make that a reality – which included a top-level coach.

Team Carlos also had the luxury of not having to focus on junior results as a means to either get more sponsorship, or for the federation coaches to polish their resumés. And because of that, they were able to take a long-term view, and to focus on making him as complete a player as they could.

So when he arrived on Tour as a teenager, Alcaraz already had every shot. Maybe he didn’t quite know when to use what, but the foundation was there. That’s a rarity.

The next phase was to take that big physical leap to get stronger. Which he did.

Coach as father figure

Throughout that process, it looked from the outside like Ferrero was a strict taskmaster, one who exerted significant control over a very young, affable and brilliantly talented young charge.

The constant coaching from the box – at first, when it was dodgy on the rules side, and later when it was allowed – seemed concrete evidence of that control. And at times, it seemed too much. Alcaraz could get a little lost on those occasions when Ferrero wasn’t at a tournament with him. And it also seemed that there had been one piece of education that hadn’t been completed: his ability to think for himself on court, to problem-solve on the fly.

That’s the kind of dynamic that can split apart longtime coach-player relationships – the transition of a young charge from boy to man.

But these two, on the whole, seemed to navigate that evolution quite well.

There were a few little signs of growing pains in that transition in a documentary released last year – notably Ferrero not being pleased with Alcaraz’s decision to go on vacation with his buddies after winning Roland Garros in 2024. (His ubiquitous manager also wasn’t too pleased).

A year ago, when Alcaraz added Lopez to the team, he spoke in New York of that evolution.

“They’re listening to me much more than before. Obviously when I was 16 years old I had nothing to say. I was just mouth closed and ears open and did whatever he said. Right now I’m doing more things for myself, let’s say I’m taking more decisions, serious decisions,” he said.

A big entourage

One facet of Alcaraz’s career has always been the simply huge number of men he has around him, at all times.

A practice session might have as many as six team members, including the often harried-looking manager who was never far away.

It also includes his older brother Alvaro, a former player of no particular distinction who is a constant presence and a hitting partner. And, of course, his father Carlos Sr.

Alcaraz is extremely close to his family; he still, at 22, lives at home with Mom and Dad – when he’s home. And in many ways, he’s still a kid in how he cheerily goes about his business.

That won’t be forever, though; eventually, the young prodigy grows up, and wants to make his own decisions. That’s often when coaches – and fathers – bow out. So it remains to be seen if the 2026 season is a year of maturity and evolution for a young player who has already accomplished so much.

What’s next, for both

Their next moves will be closely scrutinized, with the new season literally just a few weeks away.

Spanish journalist Javier de Diego, who has long covered Alcaraz, said the sudden split came as negotiations on a contract for Ferrero for 2026 broke down over the last few days.

No ha sido un calentón… pero sí ha sido repentino. La ruptura se produce hace 2 días durante la negociación del contrato de Ferrero para el próximo año.#Alcaraz #Ferrero https://t.co/qdy0QBIpB5

— Javier de Diego (@dediegoYpunto) December 17, 2025

Alcaraz reportedly will continue to work with the 55-year-old Lopez, who is the technical director at Ferrero’s academy and co-founded it in 1990, when it was known as the Equelite Academy.

Lopez stepped in at the Australian Open two years ago, when Ferrero was recovering from knee surgery. He joined the team on a full-time basis at the start of 2025.

So for the moment, there won’t be any upheaval in the Alcaraz universe. Whether he needs to shake things up or not – you could make a pretty good argument that everything is pretty great – that won’t happen. But with Lopez, he won’t have the weight of seven years of history and a coach who was, at times, as much a second father as a coach. He will feel even more free to make his own decisions.

The question, of course, will be whether Alcaraz is now mature enough and ready to do it, after having been in such a tightly-controlled cocoon all these years.

As for Ferrero, he obviously would have any number of options, should he want to coach another top player on tour.

Money, money, money

It will be fascinating to learn why – if this is indeed the case – team Alcaraz wouldn’t pay Ferrero what he felt he was worth and why it was so last-minute.

You would think, as much money as tennis players make, that they wouldn’t nickel-and-dime on the compensation for a coach without whom they wouldn’t be in a position to pad that hefty bank account. But money does … interesting things to people. Especially when there are a lot of people around sharing their … input. And, of course, there’s always the possibility they would tender an unacceptable offer just a few weeks before the start of the new season, knowing Ferrero would likely not accept it – and that way they could part ways without straight-up firing him. If that was the overarching plan.

Coaches have zero job security, and even if they have an agent basically have to negotiate for themselves and pump their biceps to tout their own value. Most don’t make anything close to what Ferrero would have made, presuming he had a standard type contract with a basic salary and a percentage of prize-money winnings as a bonus.

Meanwhile, Ferrero also knows that he is in a no-lose situation on the bargaining side. As much as he would be attached to the kid he brought to the top, he has the luxury of being able to stand up for what he thinks his value is. Because plenty of players would be happy to take him on board. Tomorrow.

Alcaraz reportedly began his official pre-season training Wednesday at home in Murcia with the Italian Flavio Cobolli, with Lopez on hand.

Just a fascinating early storyline going into 2026.

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