Former coach of Carlos Alcaraz, Juan Carlos Ferrero, reveals difficulty in following the Spanish player off the court

Former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero broke his silence this Tuesday about the end of his successful partnership with tennis player Carlos Alcaraz. The 45-year-old professional, who followed the young talent’s rise to the top of the world rankings, admitted that the process of distancing himself from professional courts has been emotionally challenging. Durante a frank conversation on Australian soil, Ferrero explained that watching the former pupil’s competitions on the screen or from the stands generates a complex feeling of nostalgia and accomplishment.

The departure of the technical command officially occurred at the end of the 2025 season, shortly after the ATP runner-up Finals in Turim, in Itália. Ferrero justified the decision as a personal need to seek new horizons and refresh his mind after years of intense routine on the ATP circuit. Atualmente, the Spaniard dedicates his efforts to the world of golf, joining the technical team of the athlete Ángel Ayora, where he applies his vast experience in high performance.

• Ferrero highlights that the transition to golf is a period of testing focused on the mental part of athletes.
• The former tennis player keeps his tennis academy active at Espanha, even outside the traveling professional circuit.
• Carlos Alcaraz remains undefeated in Australian Open 2026, without losing sets until the semifinal stage of the competition.
• Proposals from elite coaches continue to arrive for Ferrero, both from the men’s and women’s circuits.

Despite the radical change of sport, the emotional bond between the mentor and the 22-year-old player remains evident in public speeches. Ferrero highlighted that, although it is difficult to see the new technical team occupying the box in the arenas, the pride in the level of play presented by Alcaraz overcomes any initial discomfort. The young Spaniard secured his place in the semi-finals of the first Grand Slam of the year after overcoming the Australian Alex of Minaur by 3 sets to 0.

Juan Carlos Ferrero has made his next move 🚨 🏌️‍♂️

Carlos Alcaraz’s former coach joins golfer Angel Ayora’s team to work on the “mental side of performance and professional development.”https://t.co/sPtmcfovME

— TENNIS (@Tennis)January 26, 2026

Feelings about being absent from the professional circuit

Watching Carlos Alcaraz compete at a high level without being directly involved in game strategy represents a drastic change in Ferrero’s routine. The former world number one confessed that the feeling of not being physically present in the technical stands is strange, especially given the history built together. Ele reinforced that seeing the entire structure set up for the athlete and not being part of the immediate decisions requires constant psychological adaptation.

However, the mentee’s recent success at Melbourne Park serves as a validation of the work carried out over the last few years of partnership. Ferrero praised the physical and technical solidity demonstrated by Alcaraz in Australian Open, emphasizing that the tennis player has not conceded a single set to his opponents so far. Para the former coach, this consistency proves that the foundation left is solid enough to keep the Spaniard as the main favorite for major international titles.

Strategic transition to the world of professional golf

Juan Carlos Ferrero’s migration to golf was not just a leisure choice, but rather a professional move structured to help young talents. Ele revealed that the opportunity arose after conversations with coach Juan Ochoa, allowing him to delve into the preparation of Ángel Ayora’s team. The main focus of this new stage is improving the mental aspect, a characteristic that Ferrero considers fundamental in a sport as precise as golf.

The experience accumulated in Grand Slam’s achievements and in managing extreme pressure is the great difference that Ferrero takes to the fields. Ele believes that golf requires psychological control very similar to that of tennis, where every mistake can cost victory in fractions of a second. Esta testing phase has been enjoyable for the former athlete, who was already an amateur practitioner of the sport since the beginning of the 2000s, now combining personal pleasure with professional technical analysis.

Mental challenges and permanence in the sporting environment

Tennis continues to be the fundamental basis of Ferrero’s life, who does not intend to abandon the sport permanently in the long term. Ele maintains activities at its academy at Espanha, serving as a support point for new talents looking to follow paths similar to those of Alcaraz. The former coach mentioned that he still receives several inquiries to return to the main circuit, showing that his prestige in the international market remains intact after the cycle with Alcaraz.

The pause in constant international travel was one of the determining factors for the change of scenery after the Turim tournament last November. Ferrero understands that the emotional exhaustion of training an elite player requires periods of absence so that technical creativity can be renewed. In golf, he finds a different rhythm of competition, allowing for a more external and less physically taxing analysis, while continuing to contribute to the development of high-level athletes.

Alcaraz performance from a new technical perspective

Carlos Alcaraz’s overwhelming performance at Australian Open 2026 confirms that the athlete has reached early maturity under the command of his new team. Ferrero made a point of publicly congratulating his former pupil, highlighting that the level of play presented is one of the highest in the 22-year-old’s career. Para the original mentor, the evolution of Alcaraz is a source of personal satisfaction, even if the distance brings a load of occasional melancholy due to the recent professional separation.

Advancing to the semifinals after the dominant victory over Alex by Minaur places Alcaraz in a position of absolute prominence in the 2026 season. Ele ended his analysis hoping that the pace would be maintained until the final, consolidating Alcaraz as the greatest power in world tennis today, regardless of who is sitting in the command box.

Maintenance of technical identity and professional future

Ferrero does not rule out a return to the tennis courts in a leadership role in the future, but reiterates that the current moment belongs to his growth in golf. The versatility demonstrated when moving between elite modalities reinforces the image of a talent manager capable of adapting winning methodologies in different contexts. Enquanto Alcaraz shines under the sun of Melbourne, his former master finds on the golf courses a new way to express his competitiveness and tactical knowledge.

The proposals coming from both the ATP and WTA circuits indicate that the market sees Ferrero as a professional capable of transforming careers. Ele deals with these options with serenity, prioritizing the mental balance that he preaches so much to his advisors. His commitment to sporting excellence continues to be the guiding principle of his career, whether guiding a powerful serve in Roland Garros or a decisive putt in international golf tournaments, keeping alive the competitive flame that established him as one of the biggest names in Spanish sport.

Impact of separation on the dynamics of the international circuit

The absence of Juan Carlos Ferrero alongside Carlos Alcaraz changed the visual perception of television broadcasts and the behind-the-scenes dynamics of major tournaments. Especialistas from the sector commented that the duo was seen as the perfect example of symbiosis between coach and athlete, something rare to see at such a high level. The distance forced by Ferrero’s career change generates discussions about how Alcaraz’s psychology will respond in moments of greatest tension in the decisive rounds of Grand Slam.

Even so, initial results in 2026 show that the groundwork done by Ferrero was so robust that the player operates almost in automatic mode in critical situations. The former coach follows this evolution with the clinical eye of someone who knows every weakness and virtue of the young Spaniard. Ferrero’s decision to pursue golf ends up validating his theory that high-performance sport is interconnected by mental strength, regardless of the tools used, be it a racket or a club.

Perspective on Golf as a Mental Training Tool

Choosing golf allowed Ferrero to explore nuances of sports psychology that often go unnoticed at the speed of tennis. Ele explained that thinking time between golf shots requires superior mental resilience, something he tries to impart to his new students. Essa exchange of experiences directly benefits the way he sees the preparation of athletes, accumulating knowledge that could be valuable in an eventual return to tennis.

Working with Ángel Ayora is described as a high-performance laboratory where Ferrero tests theories of concentration and focus under pressure. Ele says he is excited about the golf world’s reception of his working method, which prioritizes emotional stability over pure technique. Essa parallel journey enriches the curriculum of Ferrero and offers Spanish sport a new reference in multidisciplinary training, uniting the best of two competitive worlds in a single philosophy of professional performance.