Carlos Alcaraz’s Coach Ferrero Shuts Down Talks About Imminent Split

Wednesday, 25 December 2024 at 01:30

byErik Virostko

Carlos Alcaraz's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, rejected the narrative about him possibly stepping away from his role in the coming months or years.

Juan Carlos Ferrero was not only a talented tennis player who won a Grand Slam title and reached the World No. 1 spot on the ATP Tour, but he also turned out to be a great coach.

Early on in his coaching career, Ferrero worked with Alexander Zverev, but in 2019, he joined an ambitious project when he took on the coaching role of then-15-year-old Carlos Alcaraz.

Five years later, that partnership proved to be a great success. Alcaraz is a former World No. 1 player like his coach, and he now also has three more majors than Ferrero, having won Wimbledon twice, the US Open, and the Roland Garros.

The two have now worked together for more than half of a decade, with their partnership being among the longest on the ATP Tour, even though Alcaraz is still only 21.

Recently, Alcaraz appointed another coach, Samuel Lopez, who will work alongside Ferrero, who explained to Punto de Break what their coaching partnership would look like.

"Exactly, the year will be a little different from the last ones, between the two of us we will accompany Carlos to the tournaments. I will be at the four Grand Slams, that's for sure, although Samu will also be with us at Roland Garros and Wimbledon."

"When you have been in charge for so many years, having a person with Samuel's experience in the team is beneficial for everyone. I think it will help us, it will help Carlos to hear things from another perspective, although always working along the same lines."

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"It will be positive for him, when you are on top of a person all year there is always the risk of hating that person a little, that is why a change of scenery is often positive."

Ferrero was then asked whether it was true that he initially committed to working with Alcaraz for 10 years, which would mean that their partnership would soon have to come to an end.

However, the 44-year-old coach admitted that when he previously stated that number, it was more a symbolic number than a stated goal, dismissing any idea of him leaving the team anytime soon.

"You have a family and a commitment to spend time with them, adding someone to the team is also a way of extending a coach's career. I don't set a date for myself right now... I mean, I don't start thinking that it's my seventh year and I only have three left."

"When I said that it was just a symbolic number, ten years is a long time, but right now I don't have an expiration date. We are calm, working every day as best as possible. I'm fresh to start this season (laughs)."