By Richard Pagliaro Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Photo credit: Sandra Ruhaut/Icon Sport/Getty
Carlos Alcaraz Breaking up with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero The last month has sent shockwaves through the tennis world.
ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe Said he wasn’t shocked – his only surprise was that the pair’s partnership lasted as long as it did.
Promoted with media today on ESPN Zoom call ESPN’s Australian Open coverage, ESPN+ began coverage of the AO Qualifiers this week, and McEnroe said he believed the split was foreseeable.
Patrick McEnroe, captain of the last American team to win the Davis Cup in 2007, cited three main reasons why a breakup seemed inevitable:
- Grand Slam champions rarely retain the same coach they worked with as teenagers (with the obvious exception of uncles Rafael Nadal and Toni Nadal being related).
- Ferrero is a methodical disciplinarian, while Alcaraz is more of a free-spirited improviser.
- An elite champion who could make history at Melbourne Park as the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam at 22, Alcaraz has “called the shots” over his career and may have simply grown tired of Ferrero’s stricter style.
“Frankly, I’m not surprised,” McEnroe told the media on an ESPN Zoom call. “I guess I’m an outlier because most people would say: I can’t believe they broke up.
“Most great players don’t stay with the coaches they started with as teenagers. By the way, Sinner left his coach [Riccardo Piatti] He started his career as a junior player a few years ago.
“If you’re Carlos Alcaraz and you’re 15, 16 years old, Ferrero is a very strict guy and Carlos is not that kind of guy. Now, he’s 22 and he wants to have fun. He’s like: I won Grand Slams left and right.”
AO exclusive coverage begins on Saturday, On January 17, first-round coverage begins at 7 pm on the ESPN App and 10 pm on ESPN2. New for 2026, match coverage will continue throughout the early rounds, starting in prime time and ending at 7am
A three-hour encore presentation will be available daily on ESPN2 throughout the game. The Mixed Doubles Championship on Thursday, January 29 at 8:00 pm, the Men’s and Women’s Doubles Championship on Friday, January 30 at 8:00 pm, and the Legends and Junior Singles Championships on Saturday, January 31 at 5:30 am and 8:00 pm will be streamed exclusively on the ESPN app.
During a successful seven-year partnership with former world No. 1 Ferrero, Alcaraz won 24 titles, including six Grand Slam titles, rose to world No. 1 and earned more than $57 million in prize money. In addition, Ferrero won the ATP Coach of the Year honor in 2025, the second time in the past four years that he has won this honor.
still, ESPN analyst Christopher Eubanks said these results do not necessarily supersede any disagreements the two may have about contractual obligations or compliance with discipline.
“As a player, I understand the player-coach relationship and I know results are not everything,” Eubanks said. “I know some players who fired their coaches after some of their best results, you know.
“I think it was obviously a surprise because they’ve been together for a long time. How did Ferrero go from [age 15] Bringing Carlos into the professional ranks. I think we can all naturally assume that they will be together forever.
“Understanding the business part, at some point, the business can be controversial for any reason. Whether it’s from Carlos’ team, whether it’s from Carlos himself. We already know that there are some different opinions about what it means for Ferrero and Carlos to work hard. So we know there’s something there. When you spend a lot of time with the same people week after week, sometimes you just need a break. Sometimes, it’s good to be apart.”
When Ferrero split from former Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev, he cited the German’s sometimes late arrival and lack of preparation for training as a central controversial issue that sparked the split.
McEnroe said Alcaraz likely realizes that as world No. 1 he dictates his career and may want to loosen the constraints that Ferrero was under as a youngster. The ESPN analyst also said that as Alcaraz develops into a champion, Ferrero needs to adapt to being No. 1 in the world, something McEnroe believes the former French Open champion has not done.
“I think adaptation is more important than the players. And I don’t think Ferrero – I don’t know the details – looks like he’s not willing to adapt enough,” McEnroe said. “Because players have to take over. When you’re that good, whether you’re Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic, when you get to your peak, you can make decisions.
“The coach doesn’t tell you what to do anymore. I think that’s the nature of their relationship because he’s 15 [when they started working together]But you know, you know the nature of the relationship has to change when you’re Carlos Alcaraz now, you have an entourage, you’re making more money than you ever dreamed of. So that’s part of it. “
Ultimately, McEnroe said the split won’t affect Alcaraz at all. Uncle Toni Nadal shared the same sentiment, telling Spanish media “I don’t think Alcaraz will be affected because he is a very good tennis player.”
McEnroe agrees with Toni Nadal.
“So I think all those things combined make me not surprised that he’s moving on,” McEnroe said. “Because Carlos has to take charge. To be honest, I’m not surprised at all and I don’t think it affects him at all.”
If you don’t already have ESPN+ through your provider and want to watch its AO qualifying coverage, you can purchase a monthly plan ESPN Unlimited is only $29.99 and includes ESPN+ According to online reports.
On Saturday, January 17, ESPN+ will broadcast the showdown between the former world No. 1 champions, including Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt and Patrick Rafter.
Here is the schedule:
