MADRID — Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam at just 23 after winning his seventh Grand Slam title earlier this year, doing so shortly after splitting with long-term childhood coach Juan Carlos Ferrero at the end of 2025, and his former mentor has now detailed the warnings he gave the Spaniard during their time together in an interview with Spanish outlet El Larguero.
Ferrero said managing Alcaraz's temperament was the central challenge of his development. “He’s always been a very emotional player. Keeping his emotions in check was the area that required the most work,” he said. “Yes, little by little, that was the main focus; the actual tennis structure, how to approach different matches, was relatively easy because he was capable of anything. He adapted very quickly to whatever was asked of him. Mentally, however, there was a lot of work to be done. He was very young and had to mature gradually to realise. I always told him not to be too hard on himself. Being such a perfectionist, and with everything coming so naturally to him, he would punish himself severely whenever things didn’t go right. I think he’s learned to manage that; we still see it happen occasionally, where he has a bit of an outburst, but it happens less and less now.”
He added that the team kept a close eye on off-court influences. “In that regard, we had to keep a close eye on him; though, to be fair, he was improving in other areas. You know, there are always risks surrounding a player: bad influences, the wrong kind of friends, so I, much like his family, always tried to warn him. I told him not to look at social media… a losing battle,” Ferrero said. “I wanted him to realise who his real friends were and distinguish between those who were there for the right reasons and those who were just out for personal gain. I’d tell him to watch what he was doing at night, since it could affect his performance, and to make sure he got enough rest. It’s all those little details that ultimately set a player apart from the rest.” Ferrero also discussed rumours linking him with coaching Rafael Jodar in the same appearance.
Many had questioned the decision to part ways with a coach who had been ever-present throughout Alcaraz’s professional career, suggesting the move could derail him, but Alcaraz quickly silenced those doubters despite the rest of his campaign being ravaged by injury and a subsequent absence from the ATP Tour. Since the split in December last year, Ferrero has remained in the spotlight, at first suggesting he had been wronged and later addressing speculation over future roles, including rumours linking him with Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz’s greatest rival.