Three months after being let go, Ferrero increasingly resembles a resentful, pleading figure.

On December 17 last year, Alcaraz announced parting ways with Ferrero, his accomplished coach of seven years. Now, nearly three months later, Ferrero's demeanor increasingly mirrors that of a "resentful former partner begging to reunite."

When dismissing Ferrero, Alcaraz faced significant criticism, primarily focused on two points: First, Ferrero spent seven years molding Alcaraz into a top-tier player, helping him become the youngest world No. 1 and securing six Grand Slam titles—a remarkable contribution. Alcaraz's abrupt dismissal of this esteemed coach seemed somewhat "ungrateful." Second, at that time, Alcaraz was preparing for the Australian Open, aiming to complete a Grand Slam sweep. Removing his coach at such a crucial moment appeared ill-timed, and many worried his Australian Open performance might suffer without Ferrero's guidance.

What followed is now well-known. Alcaraz won the Australian Open, achieving the Grand Slam, and later triumphed in Doha.

Since parting with Ferrero, Alcaraz has sailed smoothly, firmly maintaining his world No. 1 ranking. Off the court, he appears relaxed and cheerful, indicating he has been enjoying life immensely—a state of flourishing success.

In contrast, Ferrero has repeatedly expressed in interviews how much he misses Alcaraz, even hoping to return to his side. Ferrero, a Grand Slam champion himself and 23 years older than Alcaraz, strikes me as behaving rather "undignified," even akin to a resentful ex constantly begging for reconciliation after a breakup.

On March 5, Spanish TV channel La Sexta aired Ferrero's guest appearance on the interview program "El Hormiguero."

On March 5, in a televised interview on Spanish channel La Sexta, Ferrero admitted:People often say broken mirrors can't be fully repaired, but in some stories, reunions can be even more beautiful... Deep down, I would never refuse Alcaraz.

"Emotionally, I've gradually moved on. Three months have passed, life must go forward. But parting is inherently painful, and this separation carries extraordinary significance. Seven years together, pouring all my heart into it, reaching this point is filled with hardship and sorrow. Watching him compete on court, I genuinely rejoice at his brilliant performances, yet also feel profound sadness that I'm not there beside him."

Since leaving Ferrero, Alcaraz has lived轻松惬意, showing no signs of sorrow or regret, rarely mentioning this former coach of seven years in public. The other side of this relationship, Ferrero, remains struggling to emerge from the emotional quagmire.

In this TV interview, Ferrero again discussed breakup details: "Simply because we couldn't align on future plans. I proposed certain conditions for collaboration, and he had different ideas—these were our internal matters." He added, "Family and the surrounding environment might have influenced this." These remarks further fueled speculation that his relationship with Alcaraz's father had already deteriorated.

同时, Ferrero also admitted that since the Turin ATP Finals in November 2025, he hasn't seen Alcaraz again. Afterward, both took separate vacations without meeting, though they exchanged messages.

Speaking about their message exchanges, Ferrero emotionally stated: "I sent him messages after the Australian Open, after his Doha victory, and to the entire team as well.I don't mind initiating contact; in fact, I eagerly want to see him, give him a hug, restore一切 to normal, and if possible, even play a round of golf together. I feel we still have much to talk about; I long to chat with him, reminisce about all we shared. A quiet coffee, a warm embrace—that's what I deeply crave. This约定 will eventually happen."

Ferrero also mentioned unfollowing Alcaraz's Instagram account, though he admitted this move didn't really achieve the desired effect: "I stopped following Carlos on Instagram, just needing some time to detach emotionally. But ultimately, whenever I open Instagram, his updates are everywhere—because I follow many tennis and tournament accounts, I always see content about him. Yet I did this not out of resentment, not at all."

Last month, Ferrero跨界 served as mental coach for golfer Ángel Ayora, and he believes he will eventually return to coaching in tennis: "Yes, I feel I still have much coaching experience to share. Just now, I'm not ready emotionally or motivated to return to tennis; I need some time to adjust. When I encounter the right person someday, when I truly feel passionate and确信 I can commit fully, I'll come back."

If Ferrero's above statements resemble a hopeful, pleading "resentful ex," then his next remarks sound somewhat like an overly concerned "mother."

In this TV interview, Ferrero also expressed concerns about Alcaraz's relaxed lifestyle approach—Alcaraz desires to live his own way, taking breaks from competition to fully unwind.

"Many players cannot balance two lifestyles: one requiring the focus, talent, dedication, and discipline needed for professional competition, while frequently taking vacations, often four or five times, skipping training for five or six days straight, then expecting to maintain peak performance upon return. Most cannot achieve this."

"So initially, I thought his approach wouldn't work. But he has proven through actual performance that he is among the few who can. What the future holds, no one can say. No one can predict outcomes. Can his method continue to succeed? I hope so, and I hope I was mistaken. But I must say, for many, balancing both is extremely difficult, because the allure of leisure distractions is often hard to resist. When people around invite you, you feel tempted to go, and such occasions only increase, because these recreational arrangements easily become addictive."

"But if, like he does now, one can distinguish when to enjoy life and when to focus on training, this approach can反而 yield positive effects. It allows one to reset, relieve stress, rejuvenate, and return to competition with renewed motivation. And he is demonstrating through action that he achieves this."

After watching Ferrero's roughly 70-minute interview, I found it both amusing and frustrating, yet also somewhat understanding and sympathetic toward Ferrero—he truly is a complex, hard-to-summarize individual.

Having read the above, what are your evaluations and thoughts? Feel free to leave comments below.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yun Juan Yun Shu)