Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero: Their seven-year journey | ATP Tour

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Alcaraz and Ferrero: their seven-year journey

The 22-year-old won 24 tour-level titles under Ferrero’s guidance

December 17, 2025

Juan Carlos Ferrero was just 14 years old when he first watched Carlos Alcaraz play. The former world number one, attracted by rumors of special talent emerging from around his tennis academy in southeastern Spain, saw Alcaraz competing in a tournament for the first time.

That moment was the genesis of a successful partnership that officially began in 2018, seven years after Alcaraz and Ferrero announced its end on Wednesday.

Their successes are intertwined. Where there is Alcaraz, there is Ferrero. They have been synonymous with Alcaraz’s meteoric rise on the tour and he has just finished the season with the ATP year-end No. 1 ranking from the PIF.

“He means a lot to me,” Alcaraz said of Ferrero last year. “Obviously it’s a huge support when I have him in the box. His support is really special to me. We started when I was playing in the juniors and he was in fourth grade [tournaments] Travel with me. “

Under Ferrero’s leadership, Alcaraz won 24 tour-level titles, including six major championships. The Spaniard won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2022, and with this victory, the then 19-year-old became the youngest world number one in the history of the PIF ATP Rankings.

“It was a surprise for everyone but me,” Ferrero said at the time. “Because I train with him every day, I know what he can do.”

Alcaraz and Ferrero’s relationship has never been defined solely by trophies. Their bond runs deeper, never more evident than in 2022 when Miami’s Alcaraz prepares for his first ATP Masters 1000 final.

Ferrero did not compete on hard courts because his father Eduardo passed away. But Ferrero flew to Florida for the finals. When Alcaraz saw his coach, he jumped off the couch and gave Ferrero a warm hug. Hours later, Alcaraz lifted the trophy and became the youngest champion in the tournament’s history.

“Juan Carlos is a very important person to me,” Alcaraz said after the win in Miami. “He helped me a lot professionally, personally. When we were together we talked about everything in life, everything in our sport, and football.”

“I consider him a coach and a friend as well. So I can talk to him about everything.”

Ferrero’s eyes filled with tears as he hugged Alcaraz shortly after the Spaniard won his first grass-court Grand Slam title at Wimbledon 2023. Alcaraz successfully defended his All England title in 2024 and completed a rare French Open and Wimbledon double that season.

Wimbledon final. ” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2025/12/17/17/16/alcaraz-ferrero-2024-wimbledon.jpg”>
^{Alcaraz and Ferrero hug after the 2023 Wimbledon final. Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images}

The collaboration between Alcaraz and Ferrero was a huge success. This year, Alcaraz won a career-best eight tour titles and won a season-leading 71 matches, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

One of Alcaraz’s most dramatic wins came in the French Open final, when he fought back from two sets down to save three championship points and defeat archrival Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz climbed into the coaches’ box and celebrated with Ferrero, who lifted the 22-year-old into the air and the two shouted, “Vamos!”

“I certainly think he [was] Ferrero said after his epic victory in Alcaraz in 5 hours and 29 minutes:

While player-coach relationships involve all sorts of advice, for Alcaraz and Ferrero, sometimes it’s simple. When asked about his in-game exchanges with Ferrero last year, Alcaraz shared the one word he heard most often — and it might surprise you.

“I can tell you, one of the things he told me the most was ‘smile,'” Alcaraz revealed.

There’s no doubt that Alcaraz and Ferrero can look back on their seven-year partnership with a smile.

The Next Generation ATP Finals, co-organized by PIF and Ferrero. ” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2025/12/17/17/21/alcaraz-ferrero-2021.jpg”>
^{Alcaraz celebrates his victory at the 2021 Next Generation ATP Finals hosted by PIF and Ferrero. Photo credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour}