Juan Carlos Ferrero Denies Any Bad Blood With Carlos Alcaraz After Split: “This Is A Professional Separation”
Carlos Alcaraz is in the semi-finals of the Australian Open and will face Alexander Zverev.
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Carlos Alcaraz, Juan Carlos Ferrero (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K, Tiempo De Tenis)
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Carlos Alcaraz’s remarkable run at the Australian Open has seen him unexpectedly reach the semi-finals without his long-term coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero. There were concerns that the Spaniard would not be at his best in Melbourne, but he has stunned his doubters as he’s yet to drop a set in the first Grand Slam of the year.
Alcaraz announced in December that he had parted ways with Ferrero, ending their seven-year partnership. Reports suggest that there were disagreements on how things would run in 2025, particularly the financial benefits. Alcaraz had to turn to Samuel Lopez to lead him into the Australian Open.
At the tournament, Alcaraz has been very impressive, defeating the likes of Corentin Moutet and Tommy Paul to reach the quarter-finals. For two consecutive seasons, he had never gone past the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, losing to Alexander Zverev in 2024 and to Novak Djokovic in four sets in 2025 at the Rod Laver Arena.
But in this year’s edition, he made sure he played his best game beating home favourite Alex de Minaur in straight sets. The win now takes him two matches away from the title, his maiden Australian Open. Should he win the Melbourne major tournament, he will complete his career Grand Slam.
Also, should Alcaraz win the Australian Open, he will be in a more promising position after the split with Ferrero. During an interview with El Larguero, Ferrero pointed out that there was no bad blood between him and Alcaraz after their split. The former French Open champion added that they talked after things calmed a bit:
I spoke with Carlos and we said goodbye in a super good and super nice way, and that helped me a lot. We both waited for the earthquake to calm down a bit, and after that, we talked and things ended very well and calm, which has helped me to feel better and move on. We ended things very well, we said what we needed to say in a very good way. Between us there is a lot of affection and friendship, and it continues like this. This is a professional separation…
Following Ferrero’s split with Alcaraz, he has turned his focus to a different sport, collaborating with emerging Spanish golfer Angel Ayora as his mental coach. When he announced it on Instagram, Ferrero emphasized the importance of mental resilience in the sport and his aim to help Ayora develop it.
Juan Carlos Ferrero admits it hasn’t been easy watching Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open
Carlos Alcaraz has been playing amazing tennis since arriving in Melbourne. He didn’t take part in a warm-up tournament ahead of the event; rather, he featured in an exhibition match against his arch-rival Jannik Sinner in Seoul, South Korea. The 22-year-old won the match in straight sets and has not dropped a set at the Australian Open.
He will face Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals of the tournament on January 30. During an interview with Ten Golf via Mundodeportivo, Juan Carlos Ferrero revealed that it has been hard watching Alcaraz play exceptionally well at the Australian Open, a tournament he has not won as a coach or player:
It’s hard to watch Carlos compete and see your whole team sitting there on the chair. What you feel isn’t easy. But I’m very happy with his level because he’s winning and hasn’t lost a set yet. He’s playing at a very high level. All you can do is congratulate him and hope he keeps going.
Alcaraz and Zverev have met 12 times on the court, with each winning 6 of those matches. However, Alcaraz has won three of their last four meetings. Zverev’s last win against the 22-year-old came at the 2024 ATP Finals in Turin, while Alcaraz defeated the German star in the 2024 French Open final and at the 2025 Cincinnati Open.
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