Spanish Tennis Icon Sheds Deep Concerns About Carlos Alcaraz’s Mental Preparedness Following Split With Juan Carlos Ferrero

Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero ended their seven-year partnership just days before the 2026 season kicks off.

Spanish Tennis Icon Sheds Deep Concerns About Carlos Alcaraz’s Mental Preparedness Following Split With Juan Carlos Ferrero

Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/AllAboutHQ)

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Four-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Feliciano Lopez has shared his concerns about Carlos Alcaraz’s split with long-term coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. The former ATP player stated that he feels sorry about the situation and holds uncertainty about how Alcaraz will cope mentally next season.

The 2026 season is just a couple of days away from kickoff, and players are putting final preparation ahead of what will be a long season on tour. But Alcaraz’s situation might be slightly different from other players after parting ways with Ferrero. Alcaraz and Ferrero have had an enjoyable partnership.

It kicked off after Alcaraz attended the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy when he was just 15. Ferrero, seeing what the young, talented star possessed, decided to coach him, guiding him to success in a very short space of time. Under Ferrero’s tutelage, Alcaraz has won 24 tour-level titles, including six Grand Slams and eight Masters 1000 crowns.

Alcaraz has also spent 50 weeks as World No.1 and has finished as year-end No.1 in two consecutive years. There were expectations that Alcaraz would continue with Ferrero on tour, but the shocking news came on Wednesday (December 17) when the 22-year-old announced the split.

Since then, the news has made headlines in the media. However, during an interview on El Partidazo de COPE, Feliciano Lopez was asked about the split. The Spaniard admitted that he’s not sure if Alcaraz can handle the mental effect of losing his long-term coach, Ferrero. He pointed out that he’s saddened by the situation:

I don’t know if Alcaraz is mentally prepared to face the rest of his career without Ferrero. I think it’s still a bit too soon to stop working with someone as important as Ferrero. Juan Carlos has been the most important person in his career, I think, along with his father. I don’t know if Carlos Alcaraz will be mentally prepared to face what remains of his career, at least in the short term, without Juan Carlos Ferrero as his coach. That’s why I’m a little saddened by this split.

Alcaraz’s split with Ferrero is likely to add more pressure on him when he returns to the tour at the 2026 Australian Open. The 22-year-old will not feature in any warm-up tournament ahead of the first Grand Slam of the season.

Feliciano Lopez believes Carlos Alcaraz split with coach was due to an economic issue

Since Carlos Alcaraz split with Juan Carlos Ferrero, there have been suggestions as to what must have led to both parties parting ways, despite having a very good relationship. Insiders’ reports have revealed that the reason for the split was due to an economic issue that was not properly managed.

Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos Alcaraz (2)
Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Game, Set & Talk)

During the aforementioned conversation, Feliciano Lopez was asked if he knew about what led to the situation. The former ATP player admitted that he was unsure as to what must have led to the decision; however, he noted that it was not an on-court issue between the pair and might be an economic issue:

In Alcaraz’s case, I think he’s not making those decisions yet. I have doubts about whether Carlos was the one who really decided he didn’t want to continue with Juan Carlos. Yes, I would point more to the economic issue.

For the time being, Samuel Lopez will take the full reins as Alcaraz’s coach. He will oversee the Spaniard’s progress this season, which will begin in the Hyundai Card Super exhibition match in Seoul, South Korea, on January 10 against Jannik Sinner. The match will be played eight days before the Australian Open.

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