SHOCK: CARLOS ALCARAZ FIRES MENTOR: DISCOVER THE RIDICULOUS REASON BEHIND FERRERO’S SUDDEN SPLIT
Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero split after a 48-hour contract ultimatum. Discover the ridiculous money truth here
Guy Forget, the former world No. 4, thinks one reason for Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero splitting up is ridiculous.
Last Wednesday, it came out that Alcaraz and Ferrero were done, ending their coach-player thing that started in 2018.
Neither Alcaraz nor Ferrero has said why they broke up, but reports are giving us some clues.
Spanish media says the main reason was that Ferrero was offered less money and some changes to their deal that he didn't like.
A source close to Ferrero told CLAY and RG Media: It's simple. The contract was for a year.
The 2025 contract ended in November, and they waited until the 13th of this month to give him a new one and wanted it signed by the 15th. Juan Carlos didn't accept it, and they didn't want to change anything.
CLAY says Ferrero had two days to read and sign the contract. He made a counteroffer, but they didn't take it.
Another source told CLAY and RG Media: Ferrero and Alcaraz's dad didn't agree on how to handle the player's career.
Forget talked about the news and the reasons for the split in an interview with Tennis Actu.
I'm a bit surprised, like many tennis fans, because the partnership was really successful. We know how much Carlos Alcaraz owes to Juan Carlos Ferrero, who's been his coach for years, the Frenchman said.
We don't really know what happened between them, especially since it's just before the next season. You'd think they're already getting ready.
So, it's not ideal for Carlos Alcaraz. But when things are going so well with such good results, you wonder if it can get even better. It'll be hard to do better.
The first idea, I find a bit weird. Players like Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner make so much money these days. A coach like Juan Carlos Ferrero, I'm sure he was paid what he deserved.
So if that's really the reason, it's crazy, because a player making, I don't know, 30 million euros a year, paying his coach 800,000 or 1,500,000... it brings him so much more than he pays anyway.
The second reason, which I think is more likely, is that tensions build up with the people around him. When things aren't going well, it's not always the player who gets it: it's the girlfriend, the wife, the dad, the mom, or the agent.
Sometimes, agents cause problems and make things worse.
It's a shame because this partnership is so good. We know what we have; we don't know what's next.
When you have a young star like that, at 22, who's won everything with his mentor... and suddenly, things change.
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
