Maria Sharapova reacts to Carlos Alcaraz announcing shocking split with Juan Carlos Ferrero

Carlos Alcaraz and his longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero recently announced that they were parting ways after seven years together. Reacting to the news of the iconic duo's split, tennis legend Maria Sharapova was left emotional.

Alcaraz and Ferrero first began working together in 2019, when the former was only 15-years old. The pair quickly experienced success together, with Ferrero leading the Spaniard to six Grand Slam titles and eight ATP Masters 1000 trophies. Ferrero also led Alcaraz to the World No.1 rank.

On December 17, Carlos Alcaraz announced that he has parted ways with Juan Carlos Ferrero, writing in an Instagram post,

“It's very difficult for me to write this post. After more than seven years together, Juanki and I have decided to end our time together as coach and player. I sincerely wish you all the best in everything that comes your way. I'm comforted by the knowledge that we gave our all, that we offered everything to each other. Thank you for everything, Juanki!”

Reacting to the news, an emotional Maria Sharapova commented,

“🥺.”

Via @carlitosalcarazz on Instagram

Carlos Alcaraz thanks Juan Carlos Ferrero for turning his ‘childhood dreams into reality’ as the pair part ways

Ferrero and Alcaraz at the 2025 US Open (Image Source: Getty)

Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero have undoubtedly been one of the most successful pairings the tennis world has seen in recent years. As the two Spaniards announced their split, Alcaraz thanked Ferrero for turning his 'childhood dreams into reality', writing on Instagram,

“Thank you for turning my childhood dreams into reality. We started this journey when I was just a kid, and throughout this time you've accompanied me on an incredible trip, both on and off the court. And I've thoroughly enjoyed every step of it with you. We reached the top, and I feel that if our sporting paths had to diverge, it should be from up there. From the place we always worked towards and always aspired to reach.”

For his part, Ferrero’s note regarding his separation with Alcaraz mentioned that he wished he could have continued, leaving fans to speculate if the nature of the split was mutual or not.

Going into 2026, Carlos Alcaraz will likely be coached by Samuel Lopez, who is already a part of his team. Lopez was the coach of Juan Carlos Ferrero in his playing days. The 55-year-old also worked with Pablo Carreño Busta for almost a decade.

Edited by Riddhi Acharya