Carlos Alcaraz's Ex-Coach Takes Swing at New Coaching Job

In late December, Carlos Alcaraz made the"very difficult decision" to part ways with long-time coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero. Alcaraz won all six of his Grand Slam titles during Ferrero's seven-year coaching tenure.

Alcaraz maintained continuity by promoting Samuel López to the head coaching position. However, tennis fans and media were eager to see where Ferrero would land. We even put together a list of the top five tennis players who should hire Ferrero.

Juan Carlos Ferrero announces a new collaboration for 2026 with Spanish golfer Angel Ayora. Angel is 21 years old and together he and Juan Carlos will be working on the mental side of his performance and professional development. ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/0aijanhd1e
— LaWanda (@lawanda50) January 25, 2026

However, Ferrero announced on his Instagram that he has taken a coaching position outside of the sport entirely. Ferrero will work with professional golfer Ángel Ayora on the mental side of his performance and professional development.

It was a shocking move by Ferrero, who is among the most sought-after coaches available. However, you have to applaud anyone who follows their heart and passion when making career moves. Plus, it is always possible that he returns to tennis in the future.

Juan Carlos Ferrero announces he is going to come back to coach and his new athlete is a…
Golfer!
This is so fascinating and I kinda love it.
He will be added to golfer Angel Ayora’s team and will focus on the mental side of the sport. Love this crossover pic.twitter.com/4QLzgywEEU
— Ground Pass (@GroundPasspod) January 25, 2026

In the meantime, Alcaraz is enjoying one of his better runs in Melbourne. The six-time Grand Slam champion has never advanced beyond the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, but has a chance to do so if he beats the sixth-seeded Alex de Minaur tomorrow.

So far, Alcaraz has looked dominant in Melbourne. The ATP World No. 1 has not dropped a set, racing out to a 4-0 record in the 2026 season. If he defeats de Minaur, Alcaraz would face the winner of Alexander Zverev and Learner Tien in the semifinals.

One swing and it's done.

Back-to-back-to-back QFs for Carlitos Down Under 😤@wwos • @espn • @tntsports • @wowowtennis • #AO26 pic.twitter.com/JxJbFdvCiY
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 25, 2026

Meanwhile, Lorenzo Musetti, Novak Djokovic, Ben Shelton, and Jannik Sinner are lurking on the other side of the draw. Alcaraz has played great and benefited from a dream draw. It is possible that his split with Ferrero works out perfectly for both parties.

The 2026 Australian Open's main draw kicked off on Sunday, January 18. The action concludes for the women on Saturday, January 31, and the men on Sunday, February 1. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis style news from the court and beyond.

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