Carlos Alcaraz’s former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero has opened the door to working with the world No 1’s fierce on-court rival Jannik Sinner in the future.
Earlier this month, the US Open and French Open champion confirmed a shock split with his compatriot, also a former champion at Roland Garros, ending nearly eight years together, which produced six grand slams.
Ferrero was announced as the ATP’s coach of the year, though he shared duties with Samuel Lopez in 2025, with Alcaraz missing from Spain’s Davis Cup final defeat to Italy last month.
And speculation has surrounded the reasons behind the split, with Ferrero, 45, admitting “I wish I could have continued,” while conceding that “contractual matters have to be reviewed” at the end of the year.
He added that “it’s possible that some of those issues could have been resolved if we had sat down to talk,” while defiantly rejecting any suggestion the break-up was caused by financial motivation: “Money wasn’t one of the problems.”
Alcaraz opted to switch his training base away from Ferrero’s academy in Villena, and instead remain at home in Murcia, with his own academy a priority moving forward. “I would like to think not,” Ferrero responded when asked if that was a decisive issue.
But while Ferrero admits the split has been painful, he has already admitted he has received offers to return to tennis and he has stated that within a few months he will gladly take on a new role, including, should the opportunity arrive, one from Alcaraz’s closest competitor on the court: Sinner.
“We both need time to fully process this breakup. It’s not something easy. Right now, I’m hurting,” a candid Ferrero said in an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca. “These relationships are hard to walk away from overnight. There has to be a period of mourning. And, above all, I imagine it will hurt when I see him playing in tournaments — that’s when all the shared experiences come back.
“I think it will take time. I need two or three months to be calm and for the pain to pass. After that, if other possibilities arise, we’ll consider them. In the end, it’s been almost eight years without stopping and a lot of time away from home. Being at home now is appreciated.
“It [an offer to work with Team Sinner] is something I would have to think about. They’re extraordinary players, but as I said before, now is not the time to think about something like that or to say yes or no. Right now, it’s time to get through the difficult phase, because I still think about Carlos every day, and it’s not the moment to think about others.”
Ferrero also reiterated his belief that Alcaraz “has the potential to be the best tennis player in history,” despite stiff competition from the past and Sinner playing in the same era.
Alcaraz has not confirmed a replacement for Ferrero and could move forward with Lopez taking on a wider remit without Ferrero as he bids to claim the Australian Open next month, having never advanced beyond the quarter-finals before.
