Tennis insider Craig Shapiro claims he was told that Juan Carlos Ferrero had been asking for a raise for quite some time and Carlos Alcaraz's dad had enough, and decided to end things between the world No. 1 and the 2003 French Open champion.
Alcaraz announcing Ferrero's departure wasn't on anybody's bingo card for this offseason. But it happened on Wednesday as the two called time on their partnership after seven extremely successful years.
This year, Alcaraz won two Grand Slams and finished as the Year-End No. 1. Overall, it was another outstanding season for the 22-year-old, who heads into 2026 as a six-time Grand Slam champion and widely considered the most dominant force in tennis alongside Jannik Sinner. That made the split even more baffling.
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"Being told Ferrero was asking for big money, repeatedly trying to sweeten his deal, and The Vamos dad put his foot down and ended the conversation, ended the relationship," Shapiro wrote on X.
Ferrero indicated that he didn't want to split with Alcaraz
Alcaraz wrote a lengthy message when announcing his split with Ferrero. There, the six-time Grand Slam champion expressed big gratitude to his former coach, but also underlined that it was time for him to embark on a new adventure.
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"Now times of change are coming for both of us, new adventures and new projects," the 22-year-old said in his message.
The 2003 French Open champion also had some kind words for Alcaraz, but also strongly indicated that the split wasn't something that he wanted.
"We have been an incredible team despite the difficulties, and I am sure you will continue to achieve great success. I wish I could have continued," Ferrero wrote.
