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Former no. 1 pulls back curtain on Carlos Alcaraz's shock split from coach Juan Carlos Ferrero: ‘There was a big fight’
Former no.1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov claimed a fight between Ferrero and Carlos Alcaraz's father was the key reason for the parting of ways, and had plenty of advice.
Carlos Alcaraz enjoyed a historic 2025 season, winning two grand slams and finishing the year as the number one ranked player on the ATP tour. However, the Spaniard dropped a bombshell right before the close of the year, as he announced he was parting ways with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero heading into the 2026 season.
Speculation has been rife regarding the reasons for this separation, with the pair having shared a strong connection over the years and seemingly going from strength to strength as a partnership and growing Alcaraz’s game on many levels.
However, a big claim was dropped by former world number one Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who stated he had heard a big reason for the break-up of the partnership was friction between Ferrero and Alcaraz’s father. Kafelnikov expressed how having parents as part of the equation is always a conflict for young players trying to find their feet.
“The biggest mistake is when parents interfere in the process. I don’t know what Carlos’ father is like, but I never liked it when someone did that… From what I heard, there was a big fight between Juan Carlos and Carlos’ father,” said Kafelnikov to Sport Club.
“I’ve always said that things like that end up having a negative effect on the player – when parents get involved. Carlos is a grown man, he is the one who can make all the decisions now,” continued Kafelnikov regarding the 22-year-old, who is now up to six grand slam titles.
‘First thing a new coach should look for…’
“If you ask me, I wouldn’t want to deal with my parents. If Carlos turns to a coach himself, that’s fine. The first thing a new coach should look for is that the parents don’t interfere,” said Kafelnikov as a piece of advice for the world number one as he sets up to try and stave off a challenge from Jannik Sinner right on his tail.
“They can sit in the box, they can travel, but they cannot interfere in the coaching process. The father cannot be the agent who manages all the affairs, the tournament schedule, and the like,” concluded the Russian.
Alcaraz is yet to name a new coach for his box heading into the fresh season, with the first challenge set to be the Australian Open. That is the only grand slam missing in Alcaraz’s kitty, with a potential win set to make him the youngest man to complete a career grand slam. He will be up against back-to-back defending champion Sinner, who will be keen to snatch the number one rank back from his Spanish rival.
