Carlos Alcaraz has continued his working relationship with Samuel Lopez after axing his former head coach.
Samuel Lopez has stepped up as Carlos Alcaraz’s head coach this 12 months (Picture: Getty)
Carlos Alcaraz ended his extensively profitable player-coach partnership with Juan Carlos Ferrero in the course of the low season. They spent seven years working collectively, and in that point, Alcaraz went from a 15-year-old prospect to a six-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 1. Alcaraz had already tweaked his crew initially of 2025, including Samuel Lopez as his second coach.
Lopez has an extended historical past with Ferrero, teaching the Spaniard throughout his personal profession. He labored at Ferrero’s academy, the place he additionally began serving to former world No. 10 Pablo Carreno Busta. Collectively, they spent a 12 months working in tandem in Alcaraz’s crew, they usually collectively gained the ATP Coach of the 12 months award on the finish of 2025.
When Ferrero left Alcaraz’s camp, Lopez stepped up into the pinnacle coach function. Coming into the 2026 season, loads was product of the 22-year-old’s cut up from Ferrero. However Alcaraz, Lopez, and the remainder of the crew silenced the noise and loved instant success with the brand new set-up.
Alcaraz accomplished the profession Grand Slam by profitable the Australian Open, after which lifted one other trophy a number of weeks later in Doha. He’s since had blended outcomes in the course of the Sunshine double – reaching the semi-finals in Indian Wells, however shedding in spherical three in Miami.
The world No. 1 will now head to the clay season, with Lopez nonetheless in his nook. After a profitable first three months as the principle man in crew Alcaraz, Lopez has now mirrored on Ferrero’s departure, and revealed that he nonetheless follows the identical plans laid out by his outdated colleague.
“I deal with Carlos identical to every other participant. It’s not as a result of he’s primary that I deal with him any in another way. However for me, it’s an enormous supply of satisfaction to be within the place I’m in. It’s a dream each coach has, however in the case of working with him, I deal with him identical to every other participant,” Lopez instructed Eurosport Spain.
Samuel Lopez and Juan Carlos Ferrero beforehand labored alongside one another (Picture: Getty)
“And I’m following the identical line as Juan Carlos. It’s necessary to be constant. I’m fortunate that we have been there at the beginning of Carlos’s profession, together with Pablo. We shared many coaching periods. And I do know very effectively how he has progressed. And I do know Carlos’s folks. All of that’s undoubtedly serving to me to handle issues effectively.”
Whereas Alcaraz and Lopez have already lifted two titles collectively, Ferrero has struggled with the cut up, and unfollowed the seven-time Grand Slam champion on Instagram to provide himself some area. Ferrero, nonetheless, lately admitted he would return to Alcaraz’s crew sooner or later if requested.
And Lopez has additionally left the door open to a possible reunion sooner or later. The 56-year-old added: “The connection is nice. I don’t know what may occur sooner or later, but it surely’s not out of the query. It’s one thing that, maybe, in time, might occur. Why not? It’s not a loopy concept. After spending seven or eight years with Carlos, there’s a keenness and a bond that can all the time be there. So it might occur.”
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