Former Spanish tennis player Garbiñe Muguruza has acknowledged that she was “very surprised” by the recent professional separation between tennis player Carlos Alcaraz and his former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, considering that “it is very rare to make a change like that when something works”, in reference to the sporting moment of the current world number one, as explained in an interview on the program ‘El Larguero’.
“Carlos is the number 1 in the world and his season cannot be improved much more, so it’s rare to make a change like that when something works. Normally you value a change when you feel you need a new voice or when things are not going well, not when you win or are number one,” said the two-time Grand Slam champion, who admitted to being “wanting to know more” about the reasons for the decision.
In a sporting sense, Muguruza was cautious about the possibility of other tennis players coming between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in 2026, considering that both “are very superior and very constant”, although he did not rule out that “a third party in contention” may appear. On the women’s circuit, he pointed to Aryna Sabalenka for her perseverance and Iga Swiatek as a rival who “comes in very strong”, outlining a possible great rivalry.
Beyond the current events of the circuit, Muguruza faces a 2026 marked by new professional challenges after almost two years retired from the tracks. Take charge of co-director of the Mutua Madrid Openwhich he will share with fellow former tennis player Feliciano López, a responsibility that he described as “quite an honor” as it is “a very powerful and very attractive tournament for fans and players.”
“It is a strategic appointment to improve the tournament and, when combined, This shared leadership is also noticeable in the office. Feliciano will be more focused on the ATP and I will be more focused on the WTA, but we will help each other and integrate in a very natural way,” explained Muguruza, who initially signed for three years and highlighted the magnitude of the Madrid event for its following, its facilities and the public response.
From her new position, the former tennis player stressed that Above all, players demand “presence and closeness”, feel cared for in aspects such as training, hotels or transportation, and stressed that his figure is “very familiar” to the locker room. He also pointed out the need to analyze issues such as the use of VIP boxes, which are sometimes left empty, with the aim of optimizing the tournament experience.
Related reading
