Feliciano Lopez doubts that the departure of Juan Carlos Ferrero from Carlos Alcaraz’s team was a decision made by the tennis player himself and has questioned how mentally prepared the world No.1 is for such a change.
On Wednesday, Alcaraz confirmed in a statement that he is no longer working with Ferrero, who has been his mentor since 2018. The timing of the announcement came after the Spaniard enjoyed a stellar season, during which he produced a win-loss record of 71-9 on the Tour and claimed eight titles, including two at Grand Slams.
The shock decision has caught many off guard, with Ferrero saying in his own statement that he ‘wished he could have continued’ his role as coach. There have been no formal comments on the reason for the split yet, but Spanish broadcaster RTVE reports that it was due to not reaching an agreement over a contract for 2026.
Reacting to Ferrero’s departure, former world No.12 and Madrid Open tournament director Lopez believes the shake-up has come too soon in Alcaraz’s career. The 22-year-old has already won 24 ATP titles, with six of those being at majors. Next month, he has a shot at achieving a career Grand Slam at the Australian Open.
“I think it’s still a bit early to stop working with someone as important as Juan Carlos,” Lopez said on Spanish radio station Cadena de Ondas Populares Españolas (COPE).
“Juan Carlos has been the most important person in his career, I think, along with his father.”
Elaborating further, Lopez also questioned how ready Alcaraz is to play on the Tour without Ferrero being at his side. For the immediate future, Samuel Lopez will take the role of main coach.
“I don’t know if Carlos will be mentally prepared to face what remains of his career, at least in the short term, without Juan Carlos as a figurehead. That’s my opinion, which is why this breakup makes me a little sad,” he commented.
As for the reasons for the separation, 44-year-old Lopez believes it could be linked to disagreements over finances. However, he doesn’t believe Alcaraz was the driving force behind Ferrero’s departure.
“In Carlos’s case, I don’t think he’s making those decisions yet,” he said. “I have doubts as to whether Carlos was the one who really decided he didn’t want to continue with Juan Carlos.”
Meanwhile, other figures in tennis have also raised their concerns. Two-time French Open finalist Àlex Corretja believes Alcaraz could mature more rapidly due to the change.
“I think Carlitos will need to adjust to that (playing without Ferrero),” Corretja told TNT Sports. “He’s been with Juan for the last seven years, since he was getting mature in his tennis career. He’s going to miss him badly, and I think it might make him grow quite a lot in the next weeks and months.”
Kiko Navarro, who was Alcaraz’s first coach, also believes the tennis star wasn’t the person who made the decision and has paid tribute to Ferrero’s achievements.
“Juan Carlos has done a spectacular job. I was with him for two years working hand in hand, day after day; there is little to criticize him for.” Navarro told RNE Deportes.
“The people who made the decision, which I believe is not Carlitos, will have their reasons that I am currently unaware of.” He later added.
Finally, Toni Nadal believes it was factors outside of tennis that played a role in the coaching change.
“Of course, it surprised me, especially after such a good season. The logical thing would have been to continue because Alcaraz finished as world number one,” he told Radioestadio Noche
“Relationships in the world of tennis are difficult because the one who pays, which is the player, usually pays to hear what he wants to hear.”
“For me, it was easy to tell my player things he didn’t like to hear because it was different; he (Rafael Nadal) was my nephew, I had a different relationship.”
