After seven long years of a successful partnership, the split between coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Alcaraz had come almost out of nowhere. In the days that followed, multiple explanations surfaced, but two kept resurfacing: unresolved contract terms and the role of family in Alcaraz’s decision-making. Carlos himself stayed silent on both, although he did post a heartfelt note announcing the breakup. But now, for the first time, his father has spoken about it, although briefly, but with enough words that add a new layer to the situation.  

Following Ferrero’s chat with Marca, the EFE Agency reached out to Alcaraz’s father, Carlos Alcaraz González, for a response. “Everyone is free to give their opinion based on what they know,” he said. 

Ferrero’s interview with Marca was the first detailed account from inside the breakup. He framed the split as the result of a stalled contract renewal, saying that when discussions turned to the following season, “there were certain points on which we didn’t agree.” He described it as a standard negotiation where “one side pulls one way, and the other side pulls the opposite way,” adding that Alcaraz’s camp was doing what it felt was best for the player, just as he was doing what he felt was right for himself. But, he was also clear that the separation was not triggered by a single argument.

According to Ferrero, some issues were never fully discussed, and once that moment passed, continuing no longer made sense. “Perhaps they could have been resolved if we had sat down to talk, but in the end we didn’t,” he said. While he declined to go into specifics, he emphasized that money was not the problem, pushing back on reports that financial demands caused the fallout.

Ferrero also addressed speculation about training bases and academy politics. He rejected the idea that he forced Alcaraz to adapt to his academy in Villena, saying the arrangement had evolved as the tour demands increased and Alcaraz wanted to spend more time at home. “We offered the academy whenever training was needed, but it was never an obligation,” he stressed. By the final year, Ferrero acknowledged that his staff was doing more of the adapting, not the other way around.

That backdrop matters when placed next to the father’s response

Sources close to the team told CLAY and RG Media that there were significant disagreements between Ferrero and Alcaraz’s father over how the player’s career should be managed. Javier de Diego of Radio Nacional de España reported that negotiations collapsed within a two-day window, reinforcing how quickly the situation unraveled after years of stability.

Those disagreements were not new. Over the past two seasons, Ferrero had publicly spoken about the importance of professionalism off the court, defining it as knowing “when to really work, when to rest, when to be focused.” He acknowledged that for young players surrounded by constant praise, maintaining that balance was difficult. Within the team, Samuel López began taking on a larger role, traveling more frequently with Alcaraz and leading technical changes, including adjustments to his serve.

As López’s presence grew, Ferrero’s role narrowed. Alcaraz became increasingly reluctant to travel regularly to Villena, preferring to train closer to El Palmar, where the Carlos Alcaraz Tennis Academy, run by his father, was expanding. The shift raised an unavoidable question inside the team: who should adapt at this stage of Alcaraz’s career, the coach who had built him, or the world No. 1 himself?

Ferrero’s own words suggest he did not want the partnership to end. “I would have liked to continue,” he admitted, while also acknowledging that he never directly told Alcaraz he would step away, believing the player already knew the situation through his camp. “Of course he’s on his side,” Ferrero said. “It’s normal.”

Between Ferrero’s insistence that money was not decisive and reports of growing family involvement in daily decisions, the split appears less like a rupture and more like the point where long-running differences finally became unmanageable.

Insiders speak up on Carlos Alcaraz’s decision to part ways with Ferrero

After Ferrero’s sudden exit, Spanish outlets painted a picture of Alcaraz as uninvolved. However, Toni Nadal wasn’t convinced for a second. He found it hard to imagine a decision like that happening without Carlos having a say. “I understand that nothing is done without Carlos’ approval, of course,” he said, speaking to CLAY and RG Media.

Uncle Toni admitted the move blindsided him after seven years together that produced six Grand Slam titles and a world No. 1 (twice). The whole situation struck him as odd, especially reports that Juanki had just 48 hours to respond to a new contract. “It’s a bit strange after a seven-year relationship to be rushed into making such decisions,” he said. And he wasn’t alone!

Former French professional Guy Forget has also stepped in with his take on the end of this Spanish pairing. Reports have pointed to contract terms and financial disagreements as the trigger, but Forget isn’t entirely sold. For a player generating that kind of money, he feels parting ways with a coach like Ferrero over finances just doesn’t add up.

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If money really ended the relationship, Guy Forget called the whole thing “ridiculous.” “So if this is really the case, it’s frankly ridiculous, because a player who has to generate, I don’t know, 30 million euros a year, who pays his coach 800,000 or 1,500,000… at the end, it brings him so much more than he can ‘pay’, in any case,” he added.

Now, heading into the 2026 season, Carlos Alcaraz will kick off at an exhibition in South Korea for the Hyundai Card Super Match in Incheon on 10 January alongside Jannik Sinner. But then he’ll be at the Australian Open to grab his maiden title in Melbourne. Can Carlos bring the heat from this season into 2026 and unleash fresh dominance?