More Details Emerge on Carlos Alcaraz's Split With Coach

On Wednesday morning, the tennis world was shocked by the unexpected announcement of a split between Carlos Alcaraz and his longtime coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero. Alcaraz won all six of his Grand Slam titles during Ferrero's seven-year coaching tenure.

Reading between the lines of their two complementary statements, Ferrero wanted to continue coaching, but it was Alcaraz who wanted a change. Now, we are gradually getting more information on the reasons for the breakup.

The two parties had been working on a contract extension when their issues suddenly came to a head over the weekend. According to the Spanish media outlet Marca, Ferrero received a contract proposal on Saturday morning, with the condition that it had to be accepted or rejected within 48 hours.

Unacceptable Clauses

More reports on the Alcaraz-Ferrero split.

"Juan Carlos received the new contract on Saturday morning, with the condition that it had to be accepted or rejected within 48 hours.

The document included several clauses that the Valencian coach considered unacceptable.

The…
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) December 18, 2025

The document included several clauses that the Valencian coach considered unacceptable. The financial section of the agreement, which involved a significant salary reduction, was not a major obstacle to reaching a deal. Other aspects, not directly related to tennis, proved to be the real sticking points.

The exact sticking points for Ferrero are not yet entirely clear, and he has yet to speak on the issue besides his initial statement. However, the abrupt nature of the breakup and the rapid acceleration of the split are shocking.

Not only have Alcaraz and Ferrero worked together since the tennis star was 15 years old, but he is coming off his best year. Alcaraz finished as the ATP World No. 1 with a record of 71-9 and eight singles titles.

Samuel López Takes Over

🎾 🇪🇸 Men's tennis world no. 1 Carlos Alcaraz announced on Wednesday he is splitting from his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after seven hugely successful years together, with assistant coach Samuel Lopez taking over ➡️ https://t.co/CxbWkwcqQQ pic.twitter.com/84ixy13a08
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) December 17, 2025

It is hard to believe that such a great partnership could deteriorate in 48 hours. Surely, the ongoing contract negotiations and past disagreements factored into the sudden split. Fans and media alike will have to wait until one of the two parties speaks at length on the matter to learn more.

However, the new season is quickly approaching, and Alcaraz must resume his preseason training block. Additional reporting indicates he is elevating Samuel López to his head coach for the 2026 ATP season.

The start of the 2026 ATP season and the Australian Open kick off next month. Alcaraz has a highly anticipated exhibition match against Jannik Sinner in Seoul in early January. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.

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