Former world No.1 and coach of Carlos Alcaraz, Juan Carlos Ferrero, issued a statement on Monday denying he is suffering from cancer after a rumour circulated online.
The Spaniard wasn’t with Alcaraz at the Laver Cup or Japan Open, which was a prior agreement. Fellow coach Samuel Lopez attended those two events. Ferrero had planned to travel to Shanghai before Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament due to injury. Last week, he was at a Challenger event in Villena, which was staged at his academy.
In the wake of his recent absence, a rumor was spread online that Ferrero is suffering from a form of cancer. Even though there was never any legitimate source that backed up this claim. Nevertheless, the 45-year-old has issued a statement on social media, hitting back at those reports.
“During these last days there have been many fake news and rumors about my health, saying that I’m suffering from cancer. I want to be clear: This is completely fake.” He wrote.
“Moreover than deny it, I would like to express my concern on using such a sensible topics to generate clicks and views. Cancer is a serious disease that has marked my family and many others. This topic deserves maximum respect.
“I appreciate the supportive messages but, above all, I would like to request responsibility to those who spread this kind of information without checking its veracity.”
Ferrero won 16 ATP titles during his career, including the 2003 French Open. He also held the world No.1 ranking for eight weeks during the second half of the 2003 season. Since retiring, Ferrero has earned praise overseeing the development and rise of Alcaraz on the Tour.
According to Spanish outlet Marca, Ferrero will return to Alcaraz’s training camp next Friday. Their next event is scheduled to be the King Six Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia, which will begin on October 15th.
Alcaraz currently has a 1340-point lead over second place Jannik Sinner in the ATP live rankings.
