Carlos Alcaraz breaks silence over shock split with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero

Carlos Alcaraz insists his shock split from his coach and long-time mentor Juan Carlos Ferrero was “mutual”.

Alcaraz has risen from teenage prodigy to world No 1 and a six-time grand slam under the guidance of Ferrero but the pair parted ways during the off-season and ahead of the Australian Open.

The 22-year-old Alcaraz will continue working with Samuel Lopez and the Spaniard is confident the loss of Ferrero, himself a former world No 1 and French Open champion, will not be a distraction.

Alcaraz said winning the Australian Open is “main goal for this year” as he bids to become the youngest man in history to complete the career grand slam. Alcaraz’s rival Jannik Sinner is the two-time defending champion.

“With Juan Carlos, we decide to do it,” Alcaraz said. “I'm just having plenty of confidence of the team that I have right now.

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“The practices has been really well. I'm just feeling well. So just excited about the tournament begin with the team that I have right now.

“It is something we just decided. I think chapter of life, that is a time that has to be end. We decided like this.

“I got to say that I'm really grateful for this seven years I've been with Juan Carlos. I learned a lot. Probably thanks to him I'm the player that I am right now.

“But internally we decided like this. We closed this chapter in mutual. We, as I said, both are still friends, good relationship. But we just decided like this.

“I have the same team that I had last year. Just one member missing. But the rest of the team, everyone are the same.

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“We didn't change the routine at all. We just going through the pre-season and the season in the same way, probably with the improvement that I really want to do.”

Alcaraz is set to begin the first of at least two opportunities to break Rafael Nadal’s record and become the youngest man of all time to complete the grand slam.

If Sinner, or someone else, wins this year’s Australian Open then Sinner will have the opportunity to complete the set at the French Open in the summer.

“I think this my main goal for this year,” said Alcaraz, who is yet to advance past the quarter-finals in Melbourne but won his sixth grand slam title at the US Open last September.

“I'm just hungry for the title, hungry to do a really good result here. I'm just getting ready as much as I can. I'm really excited about the tournament begin.

“Obviously [to] complete the career grand slam is something amazing to do, be able to be the youngest that have done it before, you know, is even better.”