Six-time major winner Carlos Alcaraz described his surprise split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero as a “chapter of life that has to end”.
The world number one surprised tennis fans in December when he announced he had parted ways with Ferrero, who had coached him since he was 15 years old.
BBC Sport understands Ferrero did not want to leave his role, but Alcaraz said on Friday they “closed this chapter in mutual”.
He explained: “We, as I said, both are still friends, good relationship. But we just decided like this.
“I’m really grateful for the seven years I’ve been with Juan Carlos. I learned a lot. It is probably thanks to him I’m the player that I am right now.”
The 22-year-old is aiming to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam with victory at the Australian Open, which starts on Sunday.
Alcaraz, who has won two Wimbledon, two French Open and two US Open crowns, starts his bid against Australia’s Adam Walton.
Former world number one Ferrero guided fellow Spaniard Alcaraz to all six major wins and once described him as his “fourth child”.
“The whole situation is a bit of a strange one – I did not see it coming at all,” British player Jodie Burrage told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“We can all speculate and guess but speaking from experience of stopping with coaches, sometimes it is innocent and there’s not too much in it, it just doesn’t work.
“But that coaching relationship was working – with what he achieved, how could it not be? It’s mind-blowing, really.”
Following the split, Ferrero told Spanish sport newspaper Marca, external he had believed things would continue as they were and that he would head to the Australian Open as Alcaraz’s coach.
However, the 2003 French Open winner said there were “certain issues” when it came to resolving contracts.
“Perhaps they could have been resolved if we had sat down to talk, but in the end, we didn’t, and we decided not to continue,” Ferrero said
“It’s clear that it’s been a radical change for everyone. Adapting isn’t easy. For me, obviously, it’s not a pleasant time at all.”
Former British player Naomi Broady said she could see “cracks” in the pair’s relationship when she commentated on Alcaraz’s defeat by Cameron Norrie at October’s Paris Masters.
“Alcaraz played pretty terribly. There was a lot of tension,” Broady said.
“You don’t really see it from him on the court but he was really shouting at his box and he was getting a bit back, so there were definitely cracks.”
Samuel Lopez – who joined Alcaraz in 2024 and has coached him when Ferrero missed tournaments for personal reasons – has remained in his team.
“I have the same team that I had last year. Just one member missing. But the rest of the team, everyone are the same,” Alcaraz added.
Daniil Medvedev knows what it is like to part ways with a long-time coach, having split with Gilles Cervara in August after more than eight years working together.
The 2021 US Open champion said it was “a big decision in my life”, but added: “In the end, it was the moment to do it, the turning point. It helped me a lot.”
After adding Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke to his team, Medvedev went on to win his first title for 882 days with victory in October’s Almaty Open.
The 29-year-old, who won the Brisbane International last week, said it is “completely different” working with new team members.
“When I was looking for a new coach, I was looking for someone who would understand my game and what I’m doing on the court,” he said.
British number three Katie Boulter also enters 2026 with a new coach after splitting from Biljana Veselinovic late last year and appointing American Michael Joyce – the former coach of Maria Sharapova.
Boulter said it was the first time she had actively searched for a coach for herself, having previously had the help of the LTA to appoint coaches.
“Going out and find a coach yourself isn’t a process that I’m used to,” Boulter added.
“You just have to trust your instincts and gut feeling on it. I think that matched up pretty well.”
