Juan Carlos Ferrero Dispels Motivation Claims About Carlos Alcaraz: “I Hope He Stays at That Level”
Carlos Alcaraz is into the round of 16 of the Monte Carlo Masters.
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Carlos Alcaraz, Juan Carlos Ferrero (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K, Tiempo De Tenis)
- Juan Carlos Ferrero believes it's too early for Carlos Alcaraz to lose motivation after a disappointing Sunshine Double campaign.
- Alcaraz's recent performance includes a loss in the Indian Wells final and an early exit at the Miami Open, reducing his ATP ranking lead.
- Ferrero is open to reuniting with Alcaraz as his coach, stating he would return if the World No. 1 expresses a desire for it.
For the past few days, reports have suggested that Carlos Alcaraz may reunite with his former coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, following his disappointing Sunshine Double campaign. Ferrero, who partnered with Alcaraz for seven years on tour, believes that it’s too early for Alcaraz to drop the level of his motivation.
Alcaraz was highly motivated during the Australian Open as he was chasing to become the youngest man to complete a Career Grand Slam. He claimed the achievement after beating Novak Djokovic in four sets. He continued with the momentum at the Qatar Open, where he defeated Arthur Fils in straight sets in the final.
The Spaniard was in top form heading into the Sunshine Double, while his arch-rival Jannik Sinner was struggling on the court. Sinner had not reached a tournament final after February, and some pundits believed that the Italian star was going through a crisis period in his career. But things turned differently for the two stars in Indian Wells.
Alcaraz failed to reach the final of the Indian Wells Masters, losing to Daniil Medvedev in the final. On the other hand, Sinner won the title and completed the Sunshine Double at the Miami Open. Alcaraz crashed out in the third round of the Miami Open, which has seen his lead over Sinner at the ATP rankings reduce to 1,190 points.
The Spaniard will lose his World No 1 position at the Monte Carlo Masters if he fails to defend the title and Sinner claims the championship. Ferrero, who understands Alcaraz better than anyone in his team, having worked with him for more than five years before their split in December, revealed in an interview with MARCA that the 22-year-old needs to try to keep the level of motivation he had at the beginning of the season:
What he needs to try to do is keep his motivation intact. Staying motivated when you achieve all the goals you set for yourself is key, and then, when motivation isn’t at 100%, professional discipline has to take over. I think Carlos will stay motivated because he knows he has very important players in front of him, players who have achieved great success, and he wants to be part of that group.
Alcaraz kicked off his Monte Carlo Masters campaign on Tuesday (April 7), beating Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-3 in just an hour and nine minutes. Alcaraz’s win makes it his 14th consecutive clay match victory. The last time the World No.1 lost a game on the red dirt was at the Barcelona Open in April last year.
Juan Carlos Ferrero opens the door for a reunion with Carlos Alcaraz following their late last year’s split
Carlos Alcaraz parted ways with Juan Carlos Ferrero last December. Their split was sudden, as many expected them to continue with their partnership after a very successful 2025 season. Alcaraz is now left in the hands of Samuel Lopez, who was his assistant coach during his working partnership with Ferrero.
Ferrero has admitted on several occasions that he has nothing against Alcaraz despite the split and that they are on good terms. During the aforementioned interview, Ferrero was asked if he would reunite with Alcaraz when the Spanish player comes to him. The former French Open champion admitted that, though he has gotten good offers in recent months, he will be happy to return as Alcaraz’s coach should the World No.1 come for him:
I don’t rule it out. It’s something I have to let come naturally, that desire… Offers have been coming in, but, for the moment, I don’t feel that pull that makes me take the reins again, that enthusiasm and desire. I’m relaxed with this new project, and I’m in no hurry to return. The time will come.
Alcaraz currently holds a 22-1 record on clay and has won three titles on the surface since the start of the 2025 season. He will play either Tomas Martin Etcheverry or Frenchman Terence Atmane in the round of 16 of the Monte Carlo Masters. He has held the World No.1 spot since September.
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