After his split with long-time protege Carlos Alcaraz, Juan Carlos Ferrero has revealed how his current relationship stands with the player he helped guide from the Challenger circuit all the way to World No.1 over the span of seven very successful years.
A partnership that, to the outside eye, appeared rock-solid, shocked the tennis world last week when both parties announced they had decided to part ways just before the start of a crucial off-season, one Alcaraz enters as the best player in the world.
Ferrero Clarifies Relationship With Alcaraz After the Split
While it has since emerged that the two had points of difference and experienced ups and downs like any long-term pairing, Ferrero has now explained why they ultimately decided to walk away from each other, despite remaining on good terms, as he disclosed in his interview with Marca. Speaking about his current relationship with Alcaraz, Ferrero said:
“Super good, it has always been very good. We’ve had a very close coach-player relationship and then a strong friendship.”
Despite that, the former World No.1 made it clear that the split has been emotionally difficult. “Right now, I’m hurting,” Ferrero admitted, after a separation that neither fans nor he himself expected.
“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.”
In his farewell post uploaded to social media, Alcaraz also made it clear that he still holds Ferrero in very high regard, ending the partnership “with the peace of mind of knowing we didn’t hold anything back, that we gave everything we had for each other.” Because no matter how it ended, the two helped each other reach heights in tennis that only a handful of partnerships in the sport’s history have ever achieved.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
