Ferrero and López named Coaches of the Year after guiding Alcaraz back to World No. 1

Thursday, 11 December 2025 at 20:00

Juan Carlos Ferrero celebrates Alcaraz' victory at US Open 2025 final against Jannik Sinner.

Carlos Alcaraz’s coaches, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Samuel Lopez, were announced this Thursday as the winners of the 2025 Coach of the Year award at this edition of the ATP Awards. The Spanish duo accompanied Alcaraz on his journey to reclaim World No. 1 and win a total of 8 titles this season.

Alcaraz's great season included titles at Roland Garros and the US Open—reaching 6 career major titles—in addition to three Masters 1000 titles achieved at Monte-Carlo, Rome, and Cincinnati. His consistency and dominance throughout the year translated into a 71-9 record, during which he also reached three other finals and totaled more than 18.8 million dollars in on-court earnings.

It is not the first time that Ferrero—former World No. 1—has taken home the award, having won it for the first time in 2022, Alcaraz's breakthrough season on the Tour when he won his first major title. This time, the award is shared with Lopez—who joined the team this year and previously coached Ferrero himself, Carreño Busta, and Nicolas Almagro.

“I’m so happy with the award,” Ferrero told ATPTour.com. “I was in no doubt that Samuel would fit our working philosophy really well, because we’ve been working together for many years and he knows exactly what I want for Carlos [Alcaraz]. He’s done great work from the start.”

“Honestly, since I started this project, it’s never been a goal to win Coach of the Year,” said Ferrero. “But for the work to be recognised by other coaches who understand as we do how complicated it is... it means a lot to me to have won it twice now. This year it’s doubly fulfilling because I’m sharing it with Samuel.”

A winning formula: Following the co-coaching trend

It is not the first time the award has gone to a coaching duo. Back in 2023, Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi won the award—becoming the first pair of coaches to share the honor, both working with Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz followed his rival's formula of working with two coaches simultaneously and managed to reclaim the top of the rankings in 2025.

“Maybe I freshened things up, because Juan Carlos has been with him for seven years and I’m new,” said Lopez, who had previously coached Ferrero himself before formally joining Alcaraz’s team. “I know the team and we’ve all contributed equally, but in different ways. Above all, we’ve really insisted that the work has to be fun."

Ferrero added: “The goal is for Carlos to work at 100 per cent and get everything out of the talent he has within him. We do that through hard work and discipline, but also with fun and joy while we’re doing it. In that regard, I’m maybe a bit stricter and more serious. And Samuel is the joker, he’s more open. But he also has the serious side you need when it comes to work.”

The Turning Point: Monte-Carlo and the Clay Swing

Alcaraz's season was not so dominant from the start. He was eliminated in the Australian Open quarterfinals by Novak Djokovic and suffered a surprise defeat in the Miami Open first round against David Goffin. The Spaniard missed the chance to reclaim the top spot while Sinner was suspended and headed into the clay swing with some doubts surrounding his level.

“Winning in Monte-Carlo, without playing entirely well, but having a ten-out-of-ten attitude helped him a lot to face the rest of the season with more clarity,” commented Ferrero. “From there, many finals arrived, incredible results like in the Grand Slams… But Monte-Carlo was a light that opened the doors to gaining that confidence he needed and, from there, he was able to string together some impressive results.”

Alcaraz hold the Monte-Carlo Masters trophy

Alcaraz won his 6th Masters 1000 title at Monte-Carlo, defeating Musetti in the final

The 22-year-old achieved a 22-1 record in the clay swing, only falling in the Barcelona Open final against Holger Rune. “Carlos has matured and he has realised the importance of expressing his feelings,” said Lopez. “After Monte-Carlo, he was talking much more about how he was feeling and it really helped him to express himself more, in terms of any difficulties, fears, and everything that comes with being there and handling the pressure of the tour.”

Towards the end of the clay swing, Alcaraz crowned his dominance on the surface with the title at the French Open—his 5th major title, defeating his rival Sinner in the final. A match that had everything across five and a half hours, in which Alcaraz saved match points in the third set and ended up achieving an epic comeback against his classic rival.

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For coach Lopez, it was an even more special triumph: “On a personal level, I won my first Grand Slam at Roland Garros by forming part of a team as a coach, and what a win!” said Lopez. “Then, at the end of the year we knew he had the chance to end it as No. 1 and although nobody on the team was obsessed with it at the time, doing it in Turin was also a very happy moment.”

“Our mission is to keep his ambition alive,” he added. “You cannot rest on your laurels with what he’s achieved. From now on that motivation has to keep growing, wanting more big things that are within reach of so few and from there staying motivated and not settling for anything, always gunning for more with that joy he is known for, which rubs off on the rest of us.”

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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