Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli has expressed concern that Carlos Alcaraz could retire from tennis early like Bjorn Borg after the Spaniard’s split with Juan Carlos Ferrero.
On Wednesday last week, Alcaraz ended his player-coach partnership with Ferrero, which had began over seven years ago in 2018, when he was just 16.
Alcaraz’s decision to part ways with Ferrero has stunned many observers, with the world No 1 having had the best season of his career to date in 2025.
The 22-year-old won 24 titles, including six Grand Slams, with the guidance of Ferrero — who is a former world No 1 and French Open champion.
He became the youngest world No 1 in ATP history after winning his maiden major title at the 2022 US Open at the age of 19 years and four months.
Speaking to RMC Sport, Bartoli suggested Alcaraz would not hesitate to rehire Ferrero if his rival Jannik Sinner were to win the first two Grand Slams of the 2026 season.
“I am worried, but in a measured way, because he is someone who has exceptional qualities to begin with,” said the former world No 7.
Tennis News
Why Carlos Alcaraz may be forced to reunite with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after shock split
Carlos Alcaraz split with Juan Carlos Ferrero sparks ‘married couple’ comparison
“But he needs structure because otherwise, he could end up quitting tennis like Borg did at 25. And we have a genius here, so we don’t want that; we want him to continue for a very, very long time.
“What’s going to happen is that for the first six months, it’s going to be a trial-and-error process. There will be names circulating, people wondering who will take the job, who won’t.
“Of course, to coach a genius like Alcaraz, he’s not going to face many rejections.
“If things don’t work out with the person he hires for whatever reason, and it’s Sinner who starts taking the first two Grand Slams of the season — that is, the Australian Open, where Jannik is the overwhelming favourite, and Roland Garros, where he was one point away from winning it — he’s going to call Juan Carlos back immediately, that’s obvious.”
When did Bjorn Borg retire from tennis?
Borg was arguably the best player of his era and remains one of the sport’s all-time greats, having won 11 Grand Slams (six French Open titles and five Wimbledon titles) between 1974 and 1980.
The Swede, who won 66 singles titles in total, shocked the tennis world with his retirement in 1983 at the age of just 26. He made a comeback in 1991 before playing his last-ever match in 1993.
READ NEXT: Ex-ATP star makes ‘concerning’ comment on Carlos Alcaraz’s split with Juan Carlos Ferrero