Andy Murray was reportedly targeted for a surprising role within Carlos Alcaraz’s camp
Carlos Alcaraz reportedly eyed Andy Murray as his potential new coach last year amidst a strained relationship with his former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
The world number one announced his split from Ferrero earlier this month, marking the end of a successful seven-year partnership. Ferrero, himself a former world number one, guided his fellow Spaniard to six Grand Slam victories, their last triumph being in September when Alcaraz, 22, overcame Jannik Sinner to clinch his second US Open title.
Ferrero, considered one of the top coaches in tennis, recently won the ATP coach of the year award alongside Alcaraz’s other coach, Samuel Lopez. Given the string of successes they had together, their parting came as a significant surprise to the tennis world.
However, subsequent reports suggested that tensions had been simmering between Ferrero and Alcaraz’s team for some time. Spanish publication Punto de Break reported a growing divide between the two parties, with Alcaraz keen to steer his career in a different direction rather than continue his longstanding association with Ferrero.
According to the outlet, it was towards the end of 2024 when Alcaraz’s camp first contemplated replacing Ferrero, with plans to bring in Murray as his coach. Nevertheless, the three-time Grand Slam winner had already committed to joining Novak Djokovic’s coaching team ahead of the Australian Open in early 2025.
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Alcaraz is still searching for a permanent replacement following Ferrero’s departure, with Lopez currently serving as temporary coach. Speaking about his exit from Alcaraz’s team, the former French Open champion explained to Marca: “Everything seemed to be going well.
“It’s true that when a year ends, certain things need to be reviewed regarding contracts. And as with any new contract, looking ahead to the following year, there were certain things we disagreed on.
“As with all contracts, one side pulls in one direction and the other in another. Carlos’ camp thinks about what’s best for him, and mine thinks about what’s best for me. There were certain issues on which both parties disagreed. Perhaps they could have been resolved if we had sat down to talk but, in the end, we didn’t – and we decided not to continue.
“That’s really what happened. There are points I won’t go into detail about, but we disagreed on them and, ultimately, we went our separate ways.” Ferrero disclosed that following the ATP Finals, where Alcaraz was defeated by Sinner in the final, both he and the Spaniard’s wider team expected their collaboration would carry on.
In his statement, Ferrero commented: “It’s been a very good year, and when it ended [at the ATP Finals] in Turin, it’s true that we all had the idea that we were going to continue. Then what happened, happened, and we went our separate ways. But initially the idea was to continue, and that’s why I told him in the statement.”
