Carlos Alcaraz's childhood coach makes bold claim about real reason behind his shock split with Juan Carlos Ferrero

Carlos Alcaraz's childhood coach Kiko Navarro recently touched on the unexpected end of the longstanding collaboration between the reigning World No. 1 and Juan Carlos Ferrero. On Wednesday, December 17, Alcaraz made his decision to part ways with Ferrero public, sending shockwaves through the tennis world, with the latter himself stating in the aftermath that he would have liked to carry on as the six-time Major winner's coach.

The development was paritcularly shocking given Carlos Alcaraz's success under Juan Carlos Ferrero's tutelage since they joined forces in 2019. Ferrero, a former No. 1 himself, guided Alcaraz to all 24 singles titles he has won so far, with eight of those triumphs coming in 2025 alone.

Kiko Navarro, the first proper tennis coach Carlos Alcaraz worked with back in his childhood years, expressed his surprise at the timing of the split. During an appearance on RNE Deportes, Navarro said (translated from Spanish):

"Clearly, they have handled this with a lot of discretion, and everything has a beginning and an end. I was surprised; it would have surprised me more last year than this year, it caught me off guard. It is clear that I am a friend of the family and may know a few things, but it remains a surprise."

The Spaniard's first coach also boldly opined that the controversial decision to part ways with Juan Carlos Ferrero didn't stem from Alcaraz himself, but from the World No. 1's entourage.

"It was more from the environment than from the player; Carlitos is very protective of his coaches. He was with me, and I know he was with Juan Carlos, but there comes a moment when due to reasons not related to him or sports, they have made this decision. Juan Carlos has done a spectacular job; I worked with him for two years, and there is little to blame him for. The people who made the decision, which is not Carlitos, will have their reasons which I don't know now," Navarro added.

"Samuel Lopez will be the head coach" - Carlos Alcaraz's first coach Kiko Navarro

Samuel Lopez (left) and Juan Carlos Ferrero (center) observe Carlos Alcaraz (right) practicing at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships (Source: Getty)

In December 2024, the vastly experienced Samuel Lopez joined Carlos Alcaraz's coaching setup as an assistant to Juan Carlos Ferrero. Lopez eventually became an integral member of the team and now with Ferrero out of the picture, he is set to become the World No. 1's new head coach, according to reports as well as Kiko Navarro.

"He (Lopez) is a very humble person and a great professional. I do see him, and I think the father also does, as Alcaraz's head coach," Navarro told RNE Deportes.

However, Navarro also predicted the addition of a second coach to Alcaraz's setup in 2026 because of the lengthy nature of the tennis calendar.

"I believe a second person will be needed because the season is long with many travels. Perhaps this second person will have more recognition than Samuel, but that doesn't mean they will be the head coach. I would bet, without talking to the father yet, that Samuel López will be the head coach," he added.

Carlos Alcaraz ended his 2025 tennis season with a runner-up finish at the year-end ATP Finals after losing to rival Jannik Sinner in the championship match.