Everyone was surprised by the announcement of the separation between Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Their collaboration had begun over seven years ago in the 'Juanki''s Academy and – although they had never hidden that they had different philosophies – no one could have expected that such a divorce would take place in the middle of the off-season and after the best year of Carlitos' young career.
2025 was a really important year for the 22-year-old Spaniard, who won eight titles and took away the satisfaction of finishing the season at the top of the ATP rankings ahead of his main rival Jannik Sinner. The six-time Grand Slam champion has certainly benefited from the three-month ban inflicted on the Italian ace, but at the same time it must be admitted that he has finally found that regularity that he had lacked in the past.
Alcaraz has to prove something
For the current world number 1 a different phase of his career will begin, in which he will have to prove that he has matured enough to be able to win even without his mentor by his side. Carlos will have the support of Samuel Lopez at the beginning of 2026, but the latest rumors suggest that he is already looking for a new name to add to his team. Ferrero – on the other hand – is destined to take a long period of rest before eventually accepting a new project.
Interviewed by 'El Larguero' on 'Cadena SER', former WTA star Garbine Muguruza was the latest to comment on Alcaraz's shocking decision to part ways with Ferrero: "I was really surprised like everyone else. Carlos is number 1 in the world right now, he has had an exceptional season and has matured from all points of view. There are no changes when things are going well, at least in most cases. I would like to know some more details about this story."
Some rumors from Spain reported that Juan Carlos no longer got along with Carlos' father and agent, which is why he would have rejected the contract renewal offer that had been presented to him.
