Juan Carlos Ferrero won’t coach Carlos Alcaraz in 2026…
After seven years and six Grand Slam titles, Ferrero and Alcaraz split just weeks before the start of the 2026 ATP Tour season.
Why do you think Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero split?
Samuel Lopez will coach Alcaraz in Ferrero’s place, although he may choose to hire another coach over the coming months.
The news has rocked the tennis world, as few expected the world number one to split with Ferrero, given the success they have achieved together recently.
However, one WTA star believes Ferrero and Alcaraz will be reunited before too long…
Daria Saville thinks Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero will ‘get back together’
During the latest episode of ‘The Tennis‘, former world number 20, Daria Saville, shared her thoughts on the shocking news.
“I was actually really sad, it’s an iconic duo, and every split with a coach feels like a breakup,” said Saville.
“That’s the other thing, we don’t know how well Carlitos is going to play at this year’s AO, because there’s a bit of a grief moment.
“I also have a feeling they will get back together.
“Juan Carlos did say, ‘Maybe one day we will cross paths again.’ I feel like he will be kind of in his corner the whole time.”
Saville doesn’t think Alcaraz will look to hire anyone as Ferrero’s replacement, as she suggested the reasons why they may have split.
Who would you like to see coach Carlos Alcaraz next?
“I don’t actually think he’s going to be hiring anyone, anytime soon, because he’s got an established team,” she said.
“He’s had Samuel Lopez in his corner…
“There are a few reasons why you would split with your coach.
“First of all, probably performances, I don’t think that’s the case! I doubt that’s the reason.
2025 ATP year-end top 10
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 1 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 12,050 |
| 2 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 11,500 |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 5,160 |
| 4 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 4,830 |
| 5 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Canada | 4,245 |
| 6 | Taylor Fritz | USA | 4,135 |
| 7 | Alex de Minaur | Australia | 4,135 |
| 8 | Lorenzo Musetti | Italy | 4,040 |
| 9 | Ben Shelton | USA | 3,970 |
| 10 | Jack Draper | Great Britain | 2,990 |
“Number two, will be commitment from the coach, how many weeks they can do on the road.
“Juan Carlos was on the road forever with his career, and then he’s done seven years with Carlitos, so not deciding on how many weeks he can commit, and maybe he just wants to be with his family, which is very fair.
“But I don’t think that’s the case, because he said ‘I wish I could have continued’.
“And then contract, money, agreement. But I’ve never split with a coach because of that.”
Saville’s husband, Luke Saville, was also keen to share his thoughts, as he believes money may have played a role in the breakup.
“Two very heartfelt messages there. The very interesting one at the end of Ferrero’s quote, ‘I wish I could have continued’, leads you to think they didn’t end on great terms there,” he said.
“Something may have happened there. I guess we’re here for hot takes, aren’t we?
“Maybe Ferrero wasn’t happy with some of Carlos’ decisions?
“Playing a lot of exhos. I think we’ve spoken about that quite a bit. Maybe Juan Carlos wanted a few more weeks to train and work on his game, to keep up with Jannik [Sinner].
“Maybe that could have been a contributing factor. Carlos was sort of hunting the money a little bit in those exhos, and Juan Carlos didn’t totally agree.”
Agreeing with his wife, Saville doesn’t think Alcaraz will make any real changes to his team before the Australian Open begins.
“I don’t think he’ll change much, at least for the summer,” he said.
“I think he’ll sort of keep the same team he has had with him, and then probably start trialing some coaches…”
It’s not long before fans will see Alcaraz back in action, as he is scheduled to take on Sinner in an exhibition match in South Korea just eight days before the Australian Open begins on Sunday, January 18.
Every Grand Slam Carlos Alcaraz won with Juan Carlos Ferrero
As one of the most successful partnerships in tennis history comes to an end, what better time than now to reflect on their Grand Slam triumphs?
Alcaraz won six Grand Slams (T-11 Open Era), with Ferrero in his corner.
| Grand Slam | Surface | Final opponent | Score |
| 2022 US Open | Hard | Casper Ruud | 6-2, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 |
| 2023 Wimbledon | Grass | Novak Djokovic | 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 |
| 2024 French Open | Clay | Alexander Zverev | 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 |
| 2024 Wimbledon | Grass | Novak Djokovic | 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 |
| 2025 French Open | Clay | Jannik Sinner | 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 |
| 2025 US Open | Hard | Jannik Sinner | 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 |
Only time will tell if Alcaraz can add a seventh Grand Slam title to his collection, and his first without Ferrero, at the 2026 Australian Open…
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