"When Federer, Nadal and Djokovic were at the top, you didn’t see them playing too many exhibitions" - Rusedski states Alcaraz split from coach due to scheduling disagreements

Carlos Alcaraz's split from his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero has sent shockwaves through the sporting world. Many tennis fans are getting their say in on the situation, and that includes former British number one Greg Rusedski who pitched his reasoning why the duo split up.

After years of success with each other, their glorious relationship has come to end. Alcaraz began working with Ferrero when he was 15, with the 2003 Roland Garros champion aiding his development as rise to become the world's best.

Their partnership has been extremely fruitful. Six Grand Slams, 24 titles and 50 weeks as number one in the world is a stunning return from the 22-year-old, who has firmly cemented himself as the one to beat in the sport alongside his arch-rival Jannik Sinner.

The former world number four is one of the many tennis fans and pundits reacting to this surprising news. He gave his verdict, leaning towards scheduling disagreements between him Alcaraz and his team.

“I’m not surprised," he stated in an interview with Tennis365. "I would not be surprised if there were some disagreements over scheduling over the last few weeks because Carlos got injured in the ATP Tour event in Tokyo, he then got injured again at the ATP Finals, but he has still be playing on the exhibition circuit. You look at the recent documentary on Netflix and you can see that Carlos’s team want him to be ultra professional to try and reach the levels of the greats of the game like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic."

This may be the case with Alcaraz's love of playing in certain exhibitions. He has already signed up to play the 2026 Laver Cup after featuring in the prior two events. He has shared his love for the event as he represents Team Europe on the big stage. He was also very much intending on competing for Spain in the Davis Cup Finals but a hamstring injury prevented him from taking to the court for his country.

“You look at Jannik Sinner. He pulled out of the Davis Cup Finals and he is not playing any exhibitions. He is preparing for the new season," Rusedski continued. "When Federer, Nadal and Djokovic were at the top, you didn’t see them playing too many exhibitions. The off-season is a crucial time of the year to prepare for the new season, but Carlos is at an age where he thinks he can keep going and nothing will happen to him. That might not be the case.”

It is a very good question with fans patiently waiting for an answer to. The duo have been synonymous with each other throughout Alcaraz's career. It will be a weird site not to bee him in the Alcaraz box at the upcoming events in 2026. Someone will need to take the reigns, and it is big shoes to fill with a lot of pressure to perform as Alcaraz looks to continue his dominance in the sport.

Rusedski hinted that it may be a struggle to find the right replacement. “How do you replace Ferrero? Who can do that job? It won’t be easy. He has been with Carlos from the start and he might find it hard to get a coach who can give him what Juan Carlos has given him up to this point in his career,” he commented.

Alcaraz is currently in the middle of a training block as he looks to get back to peak condition ahead of the start to the 2026 season. He has already played two exhibitions in the USA earlier this month, losing out to Frances Tiafoe in A Racquet at The Rock ahead of defeating Joao Fonseca in the Miami Invitational. He is once again set to step onto the court with Sinner at the Hyundai Card Super Match in Incheon, South Korea, on January 10. His attention will firmly be tilted towards the Australian Open as he looks to complete the career Grand Slam. The event in Melbourne will take place from January 18 - February 1, with intrigue and excitement over who will be his coach for the first major tournament of the year.