Revealing additional reasons behind Alcaraz's split with his long-time coach

Samuel Lopez is appointed as the temporary coach for Carlos Alcaraz after the top-ranked player parted ways with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Recent training footage of Carlos Alcaraz before the season has partially unveiled the underlying causes behind the surprising split between him and his long-term coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Throughout most of his career, Alcaraz has been closely accompanied by Ferrero – a former world No. 1 who guided him from the early days at his own academy in Villena, Spain. For a young emerging player, training in a professional environment under the mentorship of a fellow tennis legend was a significant advantage that helped Alcaraz develop rapidly.

However, as Carlitos rose to become a global superstar, winning six Grand Slam titles early in his career, his status and influence changed considerably. With increased financial resources and broader opportunities, exclusive ties to the Ferrero Academy gradually ceased to be the only option. In recent years, Alcaraz has frequently trained at various locations across Spain, even practicing on public courts alongside tourists and amateur players at the La Manga Club near his hometown Murcia.

This weakening of the connection occurred before the official announcement of Alcaraz’s split from Ferrero, leading experts to believe this was not a sudden decision. Besides the desire for more independence in professional decisions, another major factor is thought to be the young player’s business strategy and personal brand development.

Recently, promotional images for the Carlos Alcaraz Academy have appeared frequently during training sessions, indicating serious investment in his own project. This is believed to potentially create a conflict of interest with Ferrero, who also owns a prestigious tennis academy in the same Alicante region.

The commercial value of such a model was clearly demonstrated when Rafael Nadal sold shares of the Nadal Academy in Mallorca for 95 million euros in 2025. Given his current stature, Alcaraz is fully capable of building a personal brand academy that could attract substantial investment in a short time.

The Carlos Alcaraz Academy is currently managed by his father, Carlos Alcaraz Gonzalez, and has expanded training camps to the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, and Australia. In this context, no longer being tied to another academy is seen as a strategic move, helping explain the decision to separate from the coach who supported him throughout his early career.