I highly doubt Alcaraz broke it off with JCF over text. Probably Snapchat.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s this: Carlos Alcaraz split with his longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in December, stunning everyone given their wild success.

Naturally, the internet went nuts with theories on why the marriage fell apart (obviously because JCF is an Aquarius and Alcaraz is a Taurus and that’s just not gonna work).

But I’m not here to speculate—that’s not what this piece is about. The split made me interested in better understanding coaching contracts at the pro level. So, let’s start here:

There are basically two models.

Weekly, monthly, doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s predictable. Rent gets paid. Kids stay in private school. This is the “I would like to sleep at night” option. Totally reasonable, especially when your job already involves living out of a suitcase and being evaluated every seven days by a scoreboard.

No base salary. Just a percentage of prize money, plus bonuses. Legendary coach Brad Gilbert is firmly in this camp. His words:

That last line matters: invest in the player.

From the player’s perspective, this model is clean. Incentives are perfectly aligned. If I win more, you make more. If I don’t, you don’t. No awkward conversations about paying someone six figures after back-to-back first-round losses in DC and Los Cabos.

From the coach’s perspective? High risk, high reward. You’re betting your livelihood on another human’s forehand—and their hamstring—and their mental state on Court 14 at 11 a.m.

This is where I think things get interesting.

BG has a phrase for what’s changed: “Now there’s a Sprinter van.”

Coach. Physio. Fitness trainer. Agent. Brother. Mom. Dad. Two guys for “the vibes.” Teams are bigger than ever. And when teams get bigger, expectations multiply. Results are expected sooner. And when things stall (which is not the Alcaraz/JCF case), the easiest variable to change is the coach.

And that’s the thing — the majority of coaches don’t have fixed-term contracts. No three-year deals. Players can fire a coach at the drop of a hat with zero immediate financial repercussion. So it’s not always drama. Sometimes it’s just… easy.

That combination—fragile job security plus expanding entourages—is why coaching stints are getting shorter and shorter.

So when you hear about a “mutual decision,” it’s usually less mysterious than it sounds.

Coaching in tennis is nothing like coaching in team sports. No long term contracts. No job security. No front office buffering hard conversations.

Which means that coaches are at the mercy of the player, who can make snap decisions and be heavily influenced by the rest of their team.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an application to submit to Team Alcaraz.

This former Top 10 ATP player went 80-0 during his high school tennis career, won the Paris Masters 1000 in 2017, and made the third round of every slam. Who is it?

A. John Isner

B. Mardy Fish

C. James Blake

D. Jack Sock

Find out at the bottom!

Digging up some of the most memorable tennis outfits of all time…

Some of the best tennis content I found on the internet this week…

📈 After 10 years on tour, Alexander Bublik cracked the Top 10 this week. In honor of this achievement, check out this video of the showman looking back at the best trick shots of his career.

😂 I can’t stop laughing at this video of Coco trying not to laugh while Fritz hits the snooze button

🎙 I loved this interview with rising star Learner Tien on the Nothing Major pod! He talks about one of the biggest changes he’s made since working with Michael Chang, some of his 2026 goals, and nervy moments trying to close out his first tour title.

D. Jack Sock