In a completely unexpected turn of events, Carlos Alcaraz blindsided the tennis world by announcing his split with long-time coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero. Both of them took to social media to announce the end of their six-year partnership on Wednesday, December 17.However, speculation is rife that the split wasn't exactly mutual based on Ferrero's post. The move comes after the most successful season of Alcaraz's career, during which he won eight titles, including two Majors. He also capped off his incredible season as the year-end No. 1. He recently won the Player of the Year Award, while Ferrero was crowned as the Coach of the Year with Samuel Lopez.So, this decision has set tongues wagging, especially in light of how Ferrero concluded his farewell post on Instagram. He spent most of the post commemorating their time together and being grateful for the opportunity. However, he signed off by stating how he wished he could've continued their collaboration."I wish I could have continued. I am convinced that good memories and good people always find a way to cross paths again," Ferrero wrote in his Instagram post. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThis one sentence caught everyone's attention, sparking curiosity in people's minds about whether this was a one-sided decision on Alcaraz's part. Others wondered if this had nothing to do with Alcaraz and instead stemmed from something in Ferrero's personal life that forced him to take a step back.A few months ago, there were rumors surrounding Ferrero's health, more specifically that he had cancer, when he stopped traveling with Alcaraz for a while. He shut those down in a strongly worded message, dismissing them as nothing but idle gossip. The root cause of their split will only be known in the future. For now, the spotlight will be on their next move after a highly successful partnership as a pair.Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Alcaraz tasted tremendous success as a duoJuan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)Juan Carlos Ferrero took the responsibility of being Carlos Alcaraz's head coach in 2019, when the latter was just 15 years old. Following an underwhelming tenure as Alexander Zverev's coach from July 2017 to February 2018, the Spaniard was interested in helping a player rise to the top from scratch, and Alcaraz was that prospect for him.Under Ferrero's guidance, Alcaraz quickly tore through the Challenger field, winning multiple titles before his 18th birthday. He transitioned smoothly to the ATP Tour, claiming his maiden career title at the Croatia Open 2021, becoming the youngest player to win an ATP title since 2008.The 2022 season cemented Alcaraz's status as a bonafide superstar. He captured his maiden Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open. A couple of months later, he beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic back-to-back en route to the Madrid Open title. He then ascended to the top of the rankings for the first time with his maiden Major triumph at the US Open.Alcaraz's position as the best player of his generation only solidified over the years, with Ferrero orchestrating his rise from behind the scenes. They won 24 titles together, including six Majors and eight Masters 1000 titles. Given their success over the years, the conclusion of their partnership also marks the end of an era.