‘Wounded’ Ferrero confirms 48-hour ultimatum, reveals details of Alcaraz split
Juan Carlos Ferrero breaks his silence to Marca. The 45-year-old coach details a breakdown in negotiations that shifted from the court to the boardroom, involving “non-sporting clauses” and a cold finality.
Juan Carlos Ferrero, 2025 | © Imago / PsNewz
Juan Carlos Ferrero confirmed Wednesday that a breakdown in contract negotiations, characterized by a “48-hour ultimatum,” ended his seven-year tenure as coach to world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
In an interview with Joan Solsona released on Marca Dec. 24, the 45-year-old former world No. 1 disclosed that the separation was triggered by disagreements over his 2026 contract. Ferrero stated he received the proposal on Saturday, Dec. 13, with a Monday deadline to accept or reject the terms.
“In any negotiation, one side pulls one way and the other the opposite,” Ferrero told Marca. “Carlos’s camp looks out for what is best for him, and I look out for what is best for me. Perhaps it could have been resolved if we had sat down to talk, but we didn’t, and we decided not to continue.”
Ferrero : “money has never been the most important thing”
While reports from Marca and Mundo Deportivo noted the contract included a significant salary reduction, Ferrero clarified that the financial terms were not the primary hurdle. “I’ve shown since I was very young that money has never been the most important thing for me,” Ferrero said.
Instead, the friction centered on “non-sporting clauses” and the professional direction of Alcaraz’s career. Ferrero noted he had already planned the entire 2026 preseason and Australian Open schedule before the split. “Everything seemed to be going well. When Carlos played the final in Turin [in November], it seemed certain we would continue,” he said.
Academy and Personal Interests
The split follows long-standing reports about tension regarding Alcaraz’s training base. The player’s father, Carlos Alcaraz Sr., has been promoting the “Carlos Alcaraz Tennis Academy” in El Palmar, Murcia, roughly 60 miles from Ferrero’s Equelite Academy in Villena.
Ferrero denied issuing an ultimatum regarding the location. “It’s logical that he wants to have his own academy and be at home more,” Ferrero said. “I never saw this as a rivalry.” However, CLAY reported a “heated argument” between Ferrero and Alcaraz’s father as early as February 2023, regarding Ferrero’s decision to skip certain tour dates.
The “Sinner” Question and the Open Door
Despite receiving immediate proposals to return to the ATP Tour within a week of the split, Ferrero stated he is not emotionally ready to coach another player. Addressing the persistent rumors linking him to Alcaraz’s chief rival, Jannik Sinner, Ferrero was non-committal but admitted to a lingering emotional attachment.
“It is not the time to think about [Sinner] and say yes or no,” Ferrero said. “I need two or three months of peace because every day I still think about Carlos. It would be impossible for me to take someone else right now because my heart is still over there.”
I spoke with [Carlos] before to ask if he was aware of everything and he said yes
However, Ferrero pointedly refused to bridge the gap permanently. “I don’t close the door on working with Carlos again. Definitively shutting that door wouldn’t be logical.”
Ferrero admitted he did not speak to Alcaraz to inform him he was officially resigning or to overcome the final hurdle. “I spoke with [Carlos] before to ask if he was aware of everything and he said yes. From there, I spoke with the people I had to speak with. I left him aside because I understood he was informed.”
Communication and the Transition to Samuel López
Carlos Alcaraz appeared to confirm the team’s new hierarchy on Tuesday, Dec. 23. The 22-year-old released a social media carousel showing him smiling during a training session with Samuel López, who has been confirmed as his head coach for the 2026 season.
López, 55, co-founded the Equelite Academy and has worked with Alcaraz since December 2024. He and Ferrero were jointly named 2025 ATP Coaches of the Year on Dec. 11, just six days before the split was announced.
“We continue to train with enthusiasm, ambition, and unity,” López wrote in a statement on Sunday.
Ferrero, who led Alcaraz to six Grand Slam titles and 24 tour-level trophies, described the split as a “deep wound” but insisted the personal bond remains. “Not agreeing on certain points does not mean we aren’t friends. I wish him the best; he has the potential to be the best in history.”
