Dec 17 (Reuters) - World tennis number one Carlos Alcaraz has split with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, they said on Wednesday, ending a seven-year partnership that delivered 24 titles including six Grand Slam crowns.
A former world number one himself and fellow Spaniard, 45-year-old Ferrero began coaching Alcaraz when he was 15 and quickly developed him into a major force.
Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion, converted his gifted protege from a claycourt specialist to a player who dominated on all surfaces.
"Thank you for turning childhood dreams into realities," the 22-year-old Alcaraz wrote in a statement, without specifying any reason for ending the partnership but mentioning new adventures and projects for both.
"We started this journey when I was barely a kid, and throughout all this time you've accompanied me on an incredible journey, on and off the court. And I've enjoyed every step of it so much with you.
"We've managed to reach the top, and I feel that if our sports paths had to part ways, it had to be from up there. From the place we always worked toward and always aspired to reach."
ALCARAZ SEEKS TO SURPASS NADAL
Alcaraz finished the year with the French Open and U.S. Open titles while he won eight titles in all as he secured the year-end number one for a second time in his career.
The split comes at a crucial time in Alcaraz's career as he bids to eclipse Spanish great Rafa Nadal and become the youngest man to complete the set of all four Grand Slam titles when he heads to the Australian Open in the New Year.
The Melbourne Grand Slam main draw will begin on January 18. Alcaraz will look to go beyond the quarter-finals for the first time in his career after making the last eight in the previous two editions.
Ferrero, who has worked alongside Samuel Lopez in Alcaraz's team, said on social media he wished to have continued coaching the player and hoped their paths would cross again.
"We have been an incredible team despite the difficulties, and I'm sure you will continue to achieve great success," he said.
There was no mention of who Alacaraz's new coach would be.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar and Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
