Carlos Alcaraz needs to 'move on' from 'shock' split with former coach Juan Carlos Ferrera in order to progress - Alex Corretja

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Carlos Alcaraz has split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero ahead of the 2026 season. The 22-year-old started working with Ferrero in his teenage years before going on to win six Grand Slam titles together and rising to the No. 1 ranking in the world. Alcaraz will attempt to win his first Australian Open trophy in Melbourne - the tournament is live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

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Alex Corretja says Carlos Alcaraz’s split with Juan Carlos Ferrero was a "big shock for everybody in the tennis world", but that the world No. 1 must leave that relationship "in the past" in order to move forward.

Ferrero had been Alcaraz’s coach since the Spaniard was a teenager and has helped him achieve six Grand Slam titles since 2022.

Alcaraz announced they had decided to part ways ahead of the new season with a statement that said: "Thank you for turning childhood dreams into realities.

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"We started this journey when I was barely a kid, and throughout all this time you've accompanied me on an incredible journey, on and off the court. I've enjoyed every step of it so much with you."

Samuel Lopez is expected to remain with Alcaraz and has been court side during his early preparations for the Australian Open - which will be available to watch on TNT Sports and discovery+.

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Speaking about how he thinks Alcaraz will adapt to the change, Corretja told TNT Sports: "I'm expecting a good Carlitos. I heard he's fired up, he's pumped, he's ready, he's been working so hard.

"And of course, it's going to be weird not having Juanki [Ferrero] next to him in the box. But unfortunately, we need to get used to that.

"The good thing for him is he's been traveling with Samo already in the past, and the whole team is there as well. But I think he's going to be ready.

"It has to remain in the past because this is what it is. He needs to move on."

Neither Alcaraz nor Ferrero have spoken publicly about the reasons for their split, but with a Grand Slam on the horizon, the press will have more opportunities to ask questions of the world’s leading player, who is looking to claim an elusive title in Melbourne.

"I think Carlitos, he's someone that he's always very clever on his answers, and he had the time to think about exactly what he wants to say during this Christmas time and this beginning of the year," Corretja said.

"So I think it was good for him just to maybe look down a little bit and he wasn't a little bit too much in the public eye in the last weeks in order not to talk about the situation.

"And now in Melbourne, he will need to face it. He will need to understand that this is pretty much normal, that it was a big shock for everybody in the tennis world. But after that, he will just need to play his game and focus on every single opponent."

Alcaraz and Ferrero going their separate ways has caused a stir in the world of tennis.

After seven years and six major victories together, there has been an emotional response from fans across the sport who will find it strange to not see the pair working alongside each other.

"I'm not surprised because I think it was a great combination," Corretja said.

"It was a good combo, especially considering that Ferrero started with him when he was a kid and just build the whole career together.

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"They achieved lots of things together, the slams, the No. 1. And also because Ferrero is such a name in the tennis world and because the relationship, it looked like it was great, it was perfect. And we were considering that relationship a long-term one.

"So when it finishes like that, it creates a whole shock in the whole world. And I think it's pretty much normal that everybody was a bit surprised.

"But at the end of the day, who are we to say why they split or why they shouldn't, or if it was more like the Carlos Alcaraz side, or it was more like Ferrero side.

"I mean, we can know some things. We are friends with them, some of us, but at the end of the day, it's their life. So I think we need to respect that and we don't need to blame anyone.

"I think they split up for different reasons. They've been talking about a little bit, but if they don't want to talk more or if they don't want to go into deeper considerations, we shouldn't go into that and just enjoy Carlos Alcaraz's career, which I think is going to continue being amazing."

All the action from the Australian Open will be available live and on-demand via TNT Sports and its streaming platform, discovery+.

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