The news of the breakup between Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero has left everyone speechless.
The 22-year-old Spaniard had started working with the former world number 1 over seven years ago and had repeatedly defined him as a second father, having grown up thanks to him both on and off the tennis court. In addition, the star from Murcia is coming off the best season of his young career and has returned to the top of the ATP rankings overtaking his main rival Jannik Sinner.
The six-time Grand Slam champion has finally found that consistency that he had often lacked in the past and his level from spring onwards has been very high, except for the shocking elimination against Cameron Norrie in the second round of the Paris Masters 1000.
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The general feeling is that this choice was not made by Carlitos, but by some members of his team who had not gotten along with Ferrero for some time (in particular the agent and father of the Spanish champion).
Carlitos will have additional pressure
The current world No.1 will be followed by Samuel Lopez at the start of the 2026 season, but the latest rumors suggest that he is already looking for a new figure to replace his mentor.
Speaking to 'RMC', former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli did not hesitate to comment on this shocking change in Alcaraz's team: "I'm a bit worried, but not excessively. Carlos is an amazing player and his talent can never be questioned, but he is a type of athlete who needs a solid structure around him in order not to go astray. No one would want him to get tired of tennis like Bjorn Borg did. He is a tennis genius and we want his career to continue for much longer."
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The Spanish star will not participate in official tournaments before the Australian Open, but will be the protagonist of a couple of exhibition matches to find the right sensations. He will also face Jannik Sinner in Seoul on January 10.
