Carlos Alcaraz confirms brother will play bigger role in his team after Ferrero split

Friday, 23 January 2026 at 16:37

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byJordan Reynolds

Carlos Alcaraz has not hired anyone new since Juan Carlos Ferrero's departure, but he announced that his brother will become a more significant part of his team.

Ferrero had been Alcaraz's coach and mentor since 2019 before his unexpected exit last month. When a pivotal person in a player's setup leaves, someone is usually hired in an attempt to fill that gap.

Instead, Alcaraz has put faith in his existing team, especially Samuel Lopez, who was the six-time Grand Slam champion's co-coach last year. He also coached Alcaraz without Ferrero at a few tournaments in 2025.

Rather than bringing in anyone new, Alcaraz stated in a 2026 Australian Open press conference that his brother Alvaro, who has helped Carlos in a non-coaching capacity, will work alongside him and Lopez.

"My brother is a very important person in my personal and professional life. He brings me many positive things that I need to perform better and well on the court and in tournaments. Now he's going to take on more prominence alongside Samu."

"He knows how we operate and how the tour works, and he knows a ton about tennis. Sometimes, he has opinions and a way of seeing things that bring a lot to me and to Samu. Happy to see him in the box, even more involved, and he brings me a lot."

Despite Alvaro being family, this move is unexpected. The ATP world No. 1's brother has no top-level coaching experience, and shifting to supporting a high-level coach like Lopez will be an adjustment.

Alcaraz's words leave some room for flexibility. It is uncertain whether Alvaro will be of similar importance to Lopez, or if the role is intended to be more of a secondary voice, with Lopez still the primary coach.

Regardless of which it is, Alvaro now has additional responsibility. No one could have predicted this a few months ago at the 2025 US Open, when Ferrero was still Alcaraz's biggest influence and the 22-year-old shaved his head after Alvaro gave him a bad haircut.

Roger Federer was floated as a possible coach for Carlos Alcaraz

When Juan Carlos Ferrero split from Carlos Alcaraz, some argued the two-time French Open champion should hire a legend of the sport as his replacement, who could relate to the stresses of being at the top.

Mats Wilander felt Roger Federer was ideally suited to the role, and publicly declared he would be the best option available. An Alcaraz/Federer combination would have been among the most high-profile player/coach relationships in tennis history.

However, Federer ended that possibility by confirming that he has no interest in coaching right now. The 20-time Grand Slam champion's focus is on being a father and his other activities since ending his career at the 2022 Laver Cup.

Federer also said he does not mind giving Alcaraz outside advice if the Spaniard asks him for it. Last year's US Open champion has often been compared to Federer because of his game's completeness and his status among many as the most enthralling player to watch in tennis.