Juan Carlos Ferrero Rubbishes Claims that ‘Financial Issue’ Ended Coaching Partnership with Carlos Alcaraz

Juan Carlos Ferrero guided his now ex-protege Carlos Alcaraz to 24 ATP titles and to the No.1 ranking.

Juan Carlos Ferrero Rubbishes Claims that ‘Financial Issue’ Ended Coaching Partnership with Carlos Alcaraz

Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Tenis en Espana)

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There were rumors that the financial aspect was one of the major reasons behind the failed contract renewal between Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero. His salary was reduced in the new contract.

In the aftermath of the breakup, Ferrero gave his first interview and dismissed such claims. He sat for the interview with Marca during which he admitted that there were certain things he disagreed with.

Ferrero, however, did not give details about what exactly the clauses were that he disapproved of. He was asked whether anything particularly bothered him about all that had been debated and discussed about the breakup.

The financial aspect has been brought up. And I’ve shown from a very young age that it wasn’t the most important thing for me. There’s been talk that I asked for more, and it’s true that they’ve always been very generous with a very high percentage for those early years when I was so involved with it. And I appreciate that. In the end, I’ve tried to make it clear that the financial issue wasn’t one of the problems, nor was it the reason I was in this project.

Juan Carlos Ferrero said

Ferrero was given just 48 hours to accept or reject the contract, as per reports, but he did not disclose whether it was true or not. The 2003 French Open champion and Samuel Lopez split the coaching responsibility this year. Lopez joined the 22-year-old team last December and is expected to take over the reins of the head coach next year.

Juan Carlos Ferrero says split with Carlos Alcaraz hurts

A 15-year-old Carlos Alcaraz joined Juan Carlos Ferrero‘s academy, the Ferrero Tennis Academy, in 2018 when he was just 15. Next year, Ferrero started to work with the Spanish ace as his main coach.

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

Then, a few years later, in 2022, Alcaraz became a Grand Slam champion for the first time. In the US Open final, he went past Casper Ruud, and the win helped him become the World No.1 for the first time, making him the youngest man in the Open Era to reach the top of the rankings table (he was 19).

Alcaraz went on to grab five more Grand Slam titles, including two this year- the French Open and the US Open, by defeating his arch-rival Jannik Sinner. He also made the title clash of the ATP Finals this year but failed to go past the four-time Grand Slam champion.

Alcaraz, in fact, won all his 24 tour-level titles under Ferrero. And that the partnership would end abruptly after Alcaraz’s most successful season, not only shocked the whole tennis world, but also hurt Ferrero.

I think maybe we both need some time to fully process this breakup. It’s not so easy. Right now, I’m hurting. These kinds of relationships are difficult to end overnight. And there has to be a grieving period. And, above all, I suppose it will also hurt when I see him play in tournaments. A lot of shared experiences come into play there. I think it’s going to take some time.

Juan Carlos Ferrero told Marca

Alcaraz clinched eight titles from 11 finals this year (also the most on the men’s tour). Apart from the two Majors, he took home three more Big Titles (Monte Carlo Masters, Italian Open, and the Cincinnati Masters).

Next year at the Australian Open, Alcaraz will be bidding to complete the Career Grand Slam. He has twice reached the quarterfinals, including this year, losing the match in four sets to Novak Djokovic. The other time he made the last eight was in 2024, where Alexander Zverev knocked him out in four sets.

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