{"id":367677,"date":"2025-12-24T14:59:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T14:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/367677\/"},"modified":"2025-12-24T14:59:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T14:59:09","slug":"i-poured-my-soul-into-it-im-hurt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/367677\/","title":{"rendered":"I poured my soul into it \u2014 I\u2019m hurt"},"content":{"rendered":"

Juan Carlos Ferrero has an open, deep wound that will take time to heal. The split with Carlos Alcaraz is painful \u2014 because of their shared history, because of the future that once seemed assured, and because of the reasons that caused everything to explode a week ago<\/a>, when the world\u2019s best player announced the end of his relationship with the coach who had guided him from his early days to the summit of tennis.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hurt,\u201d Ferrero said in an interview with Marca<\/a>, recorded at his academy in Villena, the facilities where Alcaraz was shaped during his junior years. \u201cI gave everything. I poured my soul into this project,\u201d the coach said.<\/p>\n

The bombshell triggered aftershocks in recent days, with many figures from the tennis world offering their opinions and versions of what happened<\/a>. The two main protagonists, however, had remained silent until now. Ferrero broke his silence to give his side of the story \u2014 and, in the process, to fire pointed remarks.<\/p>\n

The former world No. 1 wanted to make several things clear: that the financial gap in the contract renewal was not decisive; that the decision to end the partnership was not made by Carlitos himself, but by his entourage; and that there was no real willingness from the other side to bridge positions \u2014 something already suggested by a source very close to the negotiations in a conversation with CLAY.<\/a> He also said he needs time to grieve and did not rule out the possibility of coaching Jannik Sinner in the future, the great \u2014 and for now only \u2014 generational rival of his former pupil.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything seemed set to continue smoothly. It\u2019s true that when a year ends, certain contractual matters have to be reviewed. And as with any new contract, looking ahead to the following year, there were certain things we didn\u2019t agree on. As in any negotiation, one side pulls one way and the other pulls the opposite way. Carlos\u2019s camp looks out for what\u2019s best for him, and I look out for what\u2019s best for me. There were certain issues on which we couldn\u2019t reach an agreement,\u201d Ferrero said at the start of the interview, just before delivering his first pointed remark. \u201cIt\u2019s possible that some of those issues could have been resolved if we had sat down to talk, but in the end we didn\u2019t, and we decided not to continue. That\u2019s really what happened. There are points I won\u2019t go into in detail, but on which we disagreed, and in the end we went our separate ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been talk that I was asking for more, and it\u2019s true that they always showed me consideration by giving me a very high percentage for those early years when I was so closely involved with him. And I\u2019m grateful for that. In the end, I tried to make it clear that money wasn\u2019t one of the problems, nor the reason why I was part of this project,\u201d continued the 2003 Roland Garros champion.<\/p>\n

So what then? Was Alcaraz\u2019s decision to stop training in Villena, at Ferrero\u2019s academy, and instead train in Murcia, at home \u2014 while also promoting his own academy \u2014 a key factor?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to think not. Obviously, Carlos is just starting out in this world and they want to build a strong academy, which is logical. We never saw this as a rivalry (\u2026) I don\u2019t accept some of the things that have been said \u2014 that I prioritised him coming to Villena and that he had to adapt to me. That\u2019s not true. Over the past two years, we gradually came to understand that Carlos, given the demands of the tour, wanted to spend more time at home. And the ones who had to adapt were us.\u201d<\/p>\n

So was it simply the natural wear and tear of so many years together, of so many seasons in a world as intense and demanding as elite tennis?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you spend that much time together, there\u2019s always some wear and tear. I think travelling so much, spending so much time away from home \u2014 those things take a toll. But within the team, we supported each other a lot, and one of the reasons for bringing in Samuel (L\u00f3pez) was to prevent that relationship from eroding,\u201d Ferrero said in Marca. \u201cWhat both sides can be at peace with is that we gave absolutely everything we had. I gave everything. I poured my soul into this project. I think I invested an enormous amount of time, effort and work, and it was important to find the team and the people who allowed me to do that. In the end, I\u2019m extremely grateful for an experience like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The distance with Carlos Alcaraz Sr.<\/p>\n

As soon as the split became public, reports surfaced of various disagreements between Ferrero and Carlos Alcaraz Sr., moments of tension that gradually wore down the team and ultimately pushed the relationship between coach and father to a point of no return. In that regard, Ferrero wanted to clarify that his relationship with Carlitos has been \u2014 and remains \u2014 very good. And although he never mentions Alcaraz Sr. by name in the interview, the direction of his comments is clear. He said that he did not speak to Carlitos after the split, only asking him whether he was aware of the terms that had been put on the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spoke to him beforehand to ask whether he was aware of everything, and he said yes. From there, I spoke with the people I needed to speak with. I stepped aside from him because I understood he was fully informed. If no agreement was reached, his people look out for him and I look out for myself. It\u2019s normal that he stands by his side, of course,\u201d Ferrero said.<\/p>\n

\"JuanJuan Carlos Ferrero coaching Carlos Alcaraz.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe relationship between us throughout the year was outstanding. We didn\u2019t have arguments at any point. Samuel\u2019s arrival brought fresh air to the team so the relationship could last in the future. It was a very good year, and when we finished in Turin, it\u2019s true that we all thought we would continue. Then what happened happened, and we went our separate ways, but initially the idea was to carry on, and that\u2019s why I said what I said in the statement,\u201d added the three-time Davis Cup champion with Spain<\/a>. \u201cI want to end on good terms with them. Disagreeing on certain points doesn\u2019t mean we stop being friends or that we don\u2019t maintain a very good relationship. I wish Carlos all the best, and I believe he has the potential to become the greatest tennis player in history.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

A future with Sinner?<\/p>\n

Ferrero confirmed that he has already received some offers to return to the coaching box for the 2026 season, but said he does not feel ready to take on that challenge at the moment. He needs time to process everything, time to heal the wound and to see which project might appeal to him. What he is clear about is that he no longer wants to develop a junior player, as he did with Alcaraz, but rather to work with an already established player.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe both need time to fully process this breakup. It\u2019s not something easy. Right now, I\u2019m hurting. These relationships are hard to walk away from overnight. There has to be a period of mourning. And, above all, I imagine it will hurt when I see him playing in tournaments \u2014 that\u2019s when all the shared experiences come back. I think it will take time,\u201d the coach said. \u201cI need two or three months to be calm and for the pain to pass. After that, if other possibilities arise, we\u2019ll consider them.<\/a> In the end, it\u2019s been almost eight years without stopping and a lot of time away from home. Being at home now is appreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n

And if an offer from Sinner were to arrive? \u201cIt\u2019s something I would have to think about. They\u2019re extraordinary players, but as I said before, now is not the time to think about something like that or to say yes or no. Right now, it\u2019s time to get through the difficult phase, because I still think about Carlos every day, and it\u2019s not the moment to think about others,\u201d Ferrero replied.<\/p>\n

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