Carlos Alcaraz heads to Monte-Carlo without coach Juan Carlos Ferrero

Carlos Alcaraz will travel to Monte-Carlo Masters with a replacement for his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, following his Sunshine Double campaign. The world No. 3 reached the semifinals in Indian Wells (losing to eventual champion Jack Draper) but suffered a first-round exit at the Miami Open against former world No. 6 David Goffin.

During the Middle East Swing, Alcaraz was accompanied by Samuel López, who temporarily replaced Ferrero while the latter fulfilled commitments in Spain with his academy.

Ferrero rejoined Alcaraz’s team for the recent tournaments in the United States, but they will not be together at the start of the clay swing. According to the Spanish newspaper Marca, the 2003 French Open champion has once again decided to step aside, handing over coaching duties to Samuel López, who is part of Alcaraz’s team and previously coached Pablo Carreño Busta.

The four-time Grand Slam champion took a few days off after his early Miami exit before resuming training at the Ferrero Tennis Academy, where he worked with both López and Ferrero.

Alcaraz’s next tournament will be the Monte-Carlo Masters, starting on April 7. He has only competed in the event once before, in 2022, when he lost in the second round to Sebastian Korda (7-6, 6-7, 6-3). With no points to defend, this presents a valuable opportunity for Alcaraz to gain ground in the rankings and close the 900-point gap between him and world No. 2 Alexander Zverev.

It remains uncertain whether Ferrero’s absence will extend beyond Monte-Carlo. The tournament lasts a week, and Alcaraz’s upcoming challenges will be the Madrid Open (April 21) and the Rome Open (May 5).