Seven years ago, Juan Carlos Ferrero met a 15-year-old Carlos Alcaraz and helped turn him into one of the greatest players tennis has ever seen. As a result, his split with Alcaraz not only tormented him but also left a hole in his heart. Since then, he has expressed his wish to meet Alcaraz and hug him. And it looks like Ferrero’s wish might finally come true at the end of 2026.

As part of the Number 1 Club, formed by ATP in 2024 to bring all the top players of the world together for a year-end celebration, the former coach-player pair will have a chance to meet in Turin during the time of the ATP Finals this year. This will be the first time since Ferrero’s exit from Murcia that the two might cross paths.

The opportunity of the meeting comes at an instance where both of them have gone through severe ups and downs in their respective lives, since their split in December 2025. This coaching break-up started off well for Alcaraz, who won the Australian Open title followed by a successful Doha outing.

However, things started going south for him after he picked up a wrist injury during the Barcelona Open. This led him to miss out on not only the two Grand Slams that he has won twice each, but he struggled to make his comeback felt even at the US Open.

Ferrero, on the other hand, had a difficult time dealing with the split and decided to take some time off from his profession as well. He reportedly rejected four offers from ‘Top 20 players’ and announced that he was not going to take up any coaching commitments till 2027 begins.

In an interview with MARCA, Ferrero revealed their differences and how their life panned out after the split will not affect their interaction when they meet. “When that day comes, it will be a positive thing for both of us, and sooner or later it has to happen. It will happen,” he said.

However, his recent comment on pairing up with Jannik Sinner might rub Alcaraz the wrong way.

Juan Carlos Ferrero Predicts Carlos Alcaraz’s Fans’ Reaction, Reviving Jannik Sinner Partnership Talks

After their split, a major talking point in the tennis world has been the possibility of Juan Carlos Ferrero coaching Jannik Sinner. Rumors have emerged about the Italian scouting for a coach for the 2027 season and one of the people on his watch list is the former coach of his arch-rival.

Ferrero too hasn’t ruled out the opportunity of coaching a player like Sinner, who he admitted has been one of the toughest players to defeat, even for Alcaraz. However, in a recent interview, Ferrero said that this move might upset people of Spain, who might view it as a move against Alcaraz.

“If it were to ever happen in the future, I have already said that I understand that people, especially the Spanish, might be upset, in the sense that they might see it as a kind of slight towards Carlos and what he is capable of achieving,” he said speaking to Spanish outlet AS.

“At the end of the day, I think I am also trying to grow as a coach and, if an opportunity of this magnitude were to arise, I think people should understand that. I will not go against anyone, least of all Carlos, if it were to happen. I hope people can understand that.”

And while there has been no comment on this matter from the Italian, it is widely believed that Darren Cahill might stick around with him till the end of Roland Garros next year, making this entire discussion quite upsetting for fans of Alcaraz, who have viewed him as a well-wisher for the 23-year-old.