With Carlos Alcaraz parting ways with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, Samuel Lopez will take over as world number 1 coach in 2026.
Lopez joined Ferrero on the team before this past season. Together they helped Alcaraz finish the year on a high after capturing two more Grand Slam titles at the French Open and the US Open. Each was named Coach of the Year when the ATP announced its 2025 awards earlier this month.
“Everything was easy, because the results came,” said Lopez in an interview with the ATP website. “I have known Juan Carlos since he was 10 years old and Carlos since he took his first steps at school [Ferrero Tennis] School. I was with Pablo [Carreno Busta] at that time, but we shared many times together. The working environment is very relaxed because we have always known each other and understood what Carlos needed.
“Maybe I renewed things, because Juan Carlos was with him for seven years and I’m new. I know the team and we all contributed equally, but in different ways. Above all, we emphasized that the work must be fun.
“Carlos has grown up and has realized the importance of expressing his feelings. After Monte-Carlo, he was very vocal about how he felt and it helped him a lot to express his feelings more, about any difficulties, fears, and everything that comes with being there and handling the pressure of the trip.
“On a personal level, I won my first Grand Slam at Roland Garros by being part of the team as a coach, and what a win! Then, at the end of the year we knew he had a chance to finish it as No. 1 and although no one in the team was passionate about it at the time, to do it in Turin was also a very happy moment.”
From 2026, Lopez will lead the coaching staff alongside Alcaraz’s older brother, Alvaro. Alcaraz’s first order of business comes soon at the Australian Open next month. It is the only major tournament he has never won.
“Our goal is to keep his passion alive,” explained Lopez. “You will not rest on what you have achieved. From now on that desire must continue to grow, to seek more great things that are within the reach of very few and from there we are always motivated and never prepare for anything, always seeking more of that joy that he is known for – which affects all of us.”
Interestingly, Lopez also coached Ferrero back in Ferrero’s playing days. He worked with fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, too.
