While the announcement of the split between Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero continues to generate much discussion, we at the editorial team would like to examine the possible consequences of this separation on the eve of the 2026 season.
In the wake of this announcement, all sorts of theories are circulating about the likely reasons for this decision, which shook the tennis world yesterday. Some suggest it could be due to a disagreement regarding Juan Carlos Ferrero’s contract, or perhaps because Juan Carlos isn’t keen on all the exhibitions Alcaraz participates in instead of training and better preparing for his 2026 season. There’s certainly some truth to these claims, and it’s possible that some tension arose, but is that a sufficient reason to end a relationship that everyone expected to last? Especially with the Australian Open approaching, which is Carlito’s ultimate goal, as he recently stated? Within the editorial team, we don’t believe, and most likely, that the true reasons for this clash—however endearing it may be based on their social media posts—will ever truly be revealed. However, as a tennis magazine, what interests us most is what will happen after Ferrero, especially in the coming months.
We think that Alcaraz, or at least the Alcaraz clan, made a strategic error in ending this relationship a month before the Australian Open. Juan Carlos has been a part of Carlito’s life almost since he started playing competitive tennis, and not having him in his box during the Australian Open is likely to be difficult to deal with. Although Alcaraz has all the shots in tennis and demonstrates boundless ingenuity, we know that tennis is also, and sometimes primarily, a mental game.
Relying solely on his second coach might not be enough, as we’re asking a 22-year-old athlete to perform at the same level by changing the very foundation of his tennis… his primary coach. And we’ve only discussed what happens on the court. Off the court, he will needs to be incredibly strong to explain and re-explain to every media from all over the world the “pseudo-reasons” behind this split, which won’t help his mental state.
In our opinion, his chances of winning the Australian Open, the only Grand Slam tournament where he’s never truly excelled, and on a surface that isn’t his preferred one, especially when he will have to face a maestro like Djokovic or the two-time defending champion like Sinner, who has clearly spared no effort in his preseason preparation, are practically nil. Others, like Alex Corretja, think the opposite, but that remains just our opinion.
In any case, here at the editorial office, we wish him good luck, especially with all this media hype.
Vamosss!
