Carlos Alcaraz-Juan Carlos Ferrero, backstory on "divorce" fuels new controversy
The “divorce” between Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero continues to cause discussion and, day after day, details emerge that make the separation even more surprising. After seven years of collaboration, six Slam titles and climbing to No. 1 in the world rankings, the professional relationship between the Murcian champion and his longtime coach came to an abrupt end a few days ago, just days before the start of the 2026 season. An epilogue that, as reported by Clay Magazine, has its roots in contractual management that left Ferrero displaced, if not disappointed.
The contract between the parties used to be renewed annually, but this time something went awry. The new agreement, which should have arrived in late November, was not presented to the Valencia coach until Dec. 13, with a request to sign it by the following Monday. Two days to evaluate a contract that, according to sources close to the former ATP No. 1, did not take into account demands made by the coach himself. The counterproposal was rejected with no room for negotiation: at that point, the break became inevitable and neither side showed any real willingness to continue under the proposed conditions.
The most significant backstory, however, concerns the deterioration of relations between Ferrero and Alcaraz’s father, Carlos senior, a central figure in the management of the 2003-class champion. A rift that would have widened over time, to the point of making a peaceful professional cohabitation impossible. Hence the decision to separate, despite their extraordinary achievements together. Ferrero, tell the sources quoted by the specialized magazine, would not, however, have any intention of diving immediately into a new adventure: he will take an indefinite stop, before evaluating any new proposals.
They will take an indefinite stop, before evaluating any new proposals.
Making the picture even more heated came the words of Toni Nadal, who at the microphones of Radioestadio Noche expressed all his astonishment at the decision: “It surprised me, especially after such a positive season. The most logical thing was to continue. Alcaraz ends the year as number one and this happens. I understand that the decision is Carlos’s, because Ferrero has stated that he wants to stay. So I guess it”s not a tennis-related choice.
Ferrero leaves behind an impressive cycle: 24 titles, 280 victories and $49 million in prize money won together with Alcaraz. Numbers that testify to an enormously successful professional relationship, made all the more surprising by the way it ended. A separation, that between the two, that makes no small noise in terms of its importance and timing, and marks one of the most talked about moments in contemporary tennis.
