Juan Carlos Ferrero revealed he is still "hurting" after Carlos Alcaraz sacking

Six-time Grand Slam singles champion Alcaraz announced one week ago today that he and Ferrero were parting ways with immediate effect, after a seven-year partnership of huge success.

Under the guidance of Ferrero as his coach, Alcaraz won all six of his Grand Slam singles titles and attained two year-end world No. 1 finishes, becoming the youngest man to ever top the ATP Rankings back in 2022.

The surprise split came after a career-best season for the 22-year-old, who won eight titles - including the French Open and US Open - during a hugely impressive 2025 campaign.

In the aftermath of the news being made public, various rumours have emerged as to what caused the split.

And, Ferrero - a former world No. 1 and Grand Slam champion in his own right - has now confirmed that a contractual disagreement ultimately led to the breakdown of the partnership.

Speaking in a new interview with Marca, the 45-year-old revealed that the respective parties were unable to resolve key issues that they "disagreed" on.

He said (translated from Spanish): "Well, let's see, everything seemed to be going well.

"It's true that when a year ends, certain things need to be reviewed regarding contracts. And as with any new contract, looking ahead to the following year, there were certain things we disagreed on.

"As with all contracts, one side pulls in one direction and the other in another. Carlos's camp thinks about what's best for him, and mine thinks about what's best for me. There were certain issues on which both parties disagreed.

"Perhaps they could have been resolved if we had sat down to talk, but in the end, we didn't, and we decided not to continue. That's really what happened.

"There are points I won't go into detail about, but we disagreed on them, and ultimately, we went our separate ways."

Some reports have suggested that a financial disagreement existed between the two parties, and that this ultimately played a key role in the end of the seven-year partnership.

However, Ferrero made it clear that this was not the case - and insisted that it was never the "reason" for him to work with Alcaraz in the first place.

"The financial aspect has been brought up. And I've shown from a very young age that it wasn't the most important thing for me," added Ferrero.

"There's been talk that I asked for more, and it's true that they've always been very generous with a very high percentage for those early years when I was so involved with it. And I appreciate that.

"In the end, I've tried to make it clear that the financial issue wasn't one of the problems, nor was it the reason I was in this project."

Ferrero first started working with Alcaraz when the latter was still a teenager.

Under Ferrero's guidance, the 22-year-old went from teenage tennis prodigy to arguably the leading tennis player of his era and a modern-day great of the sport, with plenty of years ahead to achieve further success.

Alcaraz and his former coach were known to have an incredibly close relationship, though Ferrero conceded the two would need to spend some time apart before resuming their friendship.

"I think maybe we both need some time to fully process this breakup. It's not so easy. Right now, I'm hurting.

"These kinds of relationships are difficult to end overnight. And there has to be a grieving period. And, above all, I suppose it will also hurt when I see him play in tournaments. A lot of shared experiences come into play there. I think it's going to take some time."

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