The seven-year coaching tenure of Ferrero has come to an end, with escalating conflicts involving Alcaraz's family as a possible cause?

Last night Beijing time, a startling report stirred the tennis community — world No.1 Alcaraz and his mentor Juan Carlos Ferrero, who had worked together for seven years, have ended their partnership. Ferrero’s intriguing statement, “I wish I could have continued,” sparked widespread speculation about who initiated the split.

According to the latest report by Claytenis, “Ferrero and Alcaraz’s father had major disagreements regarding the player’s career planning,” which may be the core reason for the breakup. Alcaraz’s first coach, Kiko Navarro, told Spain’s national radio that he was surprised by the split: “I don’t think Carlos (Alcaraz) made this decision; those who did must have their reasons.”

Ferrero and Alcaraz at this year’s Wimbledon

Javier de Diego, a tennis expert from Spain’s national radio, added crucial information: “Two days ago, the parties failed to reach an agreement on Ferrero’s contract for the new season, which ultimately led to the end of their collaboration.”

For a coach, solving problems for the player is vital, but maintaining harmony with other team members is equally important. Claytenis revealed in its report that when Ferrero was unable to accompany Alcaraz to the South American clay season in February 2023 due to personal reasons, he had a heated argument with Alcaraz’s father.

Additionally, in a September interview with Claytenis, Brazilian tennis legend Fernando Meligeni spoke about Alcaraz’s family. Meligeni, who reached the French Open semifinals in 1999, was a contemporary and close friend of Ferrero.

Ferrero and Alcaraz at this year’s US Open

Meligeni said: “Alcaraz’s family has been fully involved throughout. Would Juan (Ferrero) want Alcaraz’s brother to join the team? I’m not sure. Now the team includes that boy (Alcaraz’s brother) and the father.” Alcaraz’s brother Alvaro mainly serves as his practice partner, and according to Spain’s Marca newspaper, he may play a more significant role in Alcaraz’s team in the future.

Just a week ago, at the ATP Annual Awards, Ferrero and Samuel Lopez were jointly named Coaches of the Year as Alcaraz’s dual coaching team. It is known that Samuel Lopez will continue coaching Alcaraz next season, but whether the team will seek a more prominent “head coach” remains unclear.

(Written and edited by Wang Fei, images courtesy of Visual China)