Carlos Alcaraz has sent shock waves through the tennis world by confirming he has split from coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, with former British No 1 Greg Rusedski giving his verdict on why one of the most successful partnerships in the sport has come to an end.
Alcaraz confirmed his split with Ferrero, ending a long-running partnership that saw the world No 1 claim six Grand Slam titles and establish himself as one of the biggest sporting superstars in the world.
“It’s very difficult for me to write this post… After more than seven years together, Juanki and I have decided to end our time together as coach and player,” said Alcaraz.
“Thank you for turning my childhood dreams into reality. We started this journey when I was just a kid, and throughout this time, you’ve accompanied me on an incredible adventure, both on and off the court. And I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every step of it with you.
“We reached the top, and I feel that if our sporting paths had to diverge, it should be from up there. From the place we always worked towards and always aspired to reach.
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“Now, a time of change is upon us both, new adventures and new projects. But I’m certain that we’ll face them in the right way, giving our best, as we always have. Always adding value.
“I sincerely wish you all the best in everything that comes your way. I’m comforted by the knowledge that we gave our all, that we offered everything to each other. Thank you for everything, Juanki!”
Now Rusedski has given Tennis365 his verdict on why Alcaraz has decided to make the change, as he suggested the battles over scheduling may have played a factor in the decision.
“I’m not surprised,” Rusedski told Tennis365, ahead of the second episode of his new podcast Off Court with Greg, which will be released on Monday.
“I would not be surprised if there were some disagreements over scheduling over the last few weeks because Carlos got injured in the ATP Tour event in Tokyo, he then got injured again at the ATP Finals, but he has still be playing on the exhibition circuit.
“You look at the recent documentary on Netflix and you can see that Carlos’s team want him to be ultra professional to try and reach the levels of the greats of the game like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
“You look at Jannik Sinner. He pulled out of the Davis Cup Finals and he is not playing any exhibitions. He is preparing for the new season. When Federer, Nadal and Djokovic were at the top, you didn’t see them playing too many exhibitions.
“The off-season is a crucial time of the year to prepare for the new season, but Carlos is at an age where he thinks he can keep going and nothing will happen to him. That might not be the case.”
Rusedski went on to suggest Alcaraz will struggle to replace Ferrero as he added: “How do you replace Ferrero? Who can do that job? It won’t be easy.
“He has been with Carlos from the start and he might find it hard to get a coach who can give him what Juan Carlos has given him up to this point in his career.”