Former world number one tennis player and coach Juan Carlos Ferrero has revealed that he needed time to heal emotionally following his departure from Carlos Alcaraz’s coaching team, according to Spanish press reports covered by Radio Mitre and La Razón. At 46 years old, the Spanish coach has stepped away from the bench temporarily while releasing his new book, Mentalidad ganadora (Winning Mentality
), which outlines the coaching methodology he utilized during his own playing career and subsequently applied to guide Alcaraz to the top of the ATP rankings.
Ferrero Recovers Emotionally from Splitting with Alcaraz
The split from Alcaraz left a deep personal imprint on Ferrero, who admitted that sitting down to watch his former pupil’s matches initially caused him pain. I think I needed some time to emotionally rebuild myself,
Ferrero said in Spanish media interviews, noting that memories flooded back whenever he tuned in. He stated that the only complete match he watched early on was Alcaraz’s encounter against Tommy Paul at the US Open, while following Ben Shelton’s match only briefly before eventually watching parts of the Tokyo tournament. Seeing him play hurt a little at first, everything comes to mind,
he acknowledged.
When questioned about the final conversations that led to their professional separation, Ferrero maintained strict privacy regarding the specifics. Those are personal things between us. A consensus was reached that we were not continuing and that will stay between us,
he stated, adding that both parties reached a mutual consensus to end the working relationship. He emphasized that he gave 100 percent effort to the role and chose to ignore external media speculation during the transition.
Reflecting on a Lifelong Career in Tennis
Ferrero's book, published by Impulsa, details major milestones from his career, starting with his iconic 2003 US Open semifinal victory against Andre Agassi, a win that secured him the world number one ranking. While Agassi famously titled his autobiography Open with the proclamation I hate tennis,
Ferrero offered a stark contrast. Tennis has given me everything,
Ferrero noted, suggesting that Agassi’s friction stemmed from outside pressures rather than the sport itself. He noted that Agassi likely did not hate the sport itself, but rather the pressures put on him from the outside and everything generated by having to be on a court and having to prove things. He remembered that after beating Agassi and becoming number one, Agassi told him, Welcome to the club.
He also recalled an earlier conversation with Alcaraz when the player was 15 years old, describing him as a child with very wide eyes and a lot of desire to listen and learn. He noted that Alcaraz is a protagonist in the first Davis Cup in history for Spain, won Roland Garros, and in barely a year and a half went from number 1 to 98.
Future Plans on the ATP Tour
With his emotional recovery underway, Ferrero confirmed he is ready to return to the ATP coaching circuit. Although he has not yet signed with a player for the upcoming season, he anticipates team formations to materialize within the next two months. The illusion and desire to return to the circuit have been born in me once again,
he said. During his review of the tour, he also mentioned Novak Djokovic, stating that the hardest thing about the Serbian player is sustaining motivation after 21 seasons winning at least one title. Regarding the rivalry between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, he warned that in sports, calculations do not work, closing with the remark, Sport doesn’t run, it flies.
Additionally, he noted that the ATP is launching the Number One Club, an initiative to honor those who have led the ranking—who currently number 29, and will become 30 when Zverev arrives following Sinner’s injury—with a dinner scheduled in Turin, recalling another dinner previously held in New York for all the number ones.
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