If you have been following Spanish tennis lately, you have probably seen the name Samuel Lopez appearing more and more next to Carlos Alcaraz. For nearly a decade, Lopez was known as the calm and dependable coach who helped Pablo Carreno Busta enjoy the strongest years of his professional career.
Then, at the end of 2024, everything changed. Samuel Lopez officially left Carreno Busta’s team to join Carlos Alcaraz’s setup, working alongside longtime head coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
For tennis fans, especially those searching for information about Alcaraz’s coaching team, this move raised plenty of questions. Who is Samuel Lopez? How did he build his coaching reputation? And why did he decide to switch from Carreno Busta to one of the biggest stars in world tennis?
Let us break it all down in this article.
Who Is Samuel Lopez?
Samuel López, often listed as Samuel López Jareño in Spanish tennis records, is a highly respected Spanish tennis coach from Alicante, Spain. He is not a coach who seeks attention or headlines. Instead, Lopez has built his reputation quietly by focusing on structure, discipline, mental strength, and long-term player development.
Within the professional tennis world, he is known as a coach who values daily improvement over short-term results. That mindset has made him trusted by elite players and by major Spanish tennis academies.
Today, he is best known as a key member of Carlos Alcaraz’s coaching team, one of the most demanding and high-pressure roles in modern tennis.
Samuel Lopez’s Journey as a Player
Before becoming a coach, Samuel Lopez competed professionally, though his playing career was relatively short and did not reach the top levels of the ATP Tour.
While he never became a headline player, that experience shaped the coach he would later become. Many coaches who did not reach elite status as players tend to focus deeply on technique, preparation, and mental discipline — areas that often decide matches at the highest level.
Lopez’s early transition from playing to coaching allowed him to study the game from a teaching perspective at a young age, laying the foundation for his long career on the sidelines.
Samuel Lopez’s Coaching Career and the Spanish Tennis System
Spain has long produced disciplined, mentally strong players, and Lopez became part of that system early on. Over the years, he worked with several tour-level professionals and gained experience inside high-performance environments.
According to ATP coaching records, Samuel Lopez has worked with players such as Juan Carlos Ferrero, Guillermo García López, Santiago Ventura, Mariusz Fyrstenberg, and Pablo Carreno Busta. He also contributed to Spain’s Olympic tennis programs during the 2000 and 2012 Games.
This background gave Lopez something extremely valuable: experience under pressure. Grand Slams, Olympic events, and high-stakes matches are environments where coaching decisions truly matter.
Samuel Lopez’s Long Partnership With Pablo Carreno Busta
The most important chapter of Samuel Lopez’s career came with Pablo Carreno Busta. Lopez began coaching Carreno Busta in November 2015, and their partnership lasted nearly nine years — an unusually long relationship in modern professional tennis.
During that period, Carreno Busta enjoyed the best stretch of his career. He won seven ATP Tour titles, including the prestigious 2022 Canadian Open, reached the US Open semifinals twice (2017 and 2020), climbed to a career-high ATP ranking of No. 10, and captured an Olympic bronze medal at the Tokyo Games.
Their collaboration was built on stability. Carreno Busta became known as one of the toughest competitors on tour — solid from both wings, mentally composed, and extremely difficult to defeat in long matches. Much of that identity reflected Lopez’s coaching philosophy.
At the end of 2024, Carreno Busta publicly announced their split, thanking Lopez for nearly a decade of work and mutual trust. It marked the natural end of a very successful chapter.
Why did Samuel Lopez Switches From Carreno to Carlos Alcaraz?
The decision behind Samuel Lopez switching from Carreno to Carlos Alcaraz was driven by timing, opportunity, and long-standing connections.
From a factual standpoint, Carlos Alcaraz hired Lopez as part of his coaching structure beginning in the 2025 season, while Juan Carlos Ferrero initially remained as head coach.
Alcaraz himself described Lopez as one of the most respected coaches on tour, a sign of how highly he is regarded within professional tennis.
The move also made sense practically. After nine seasons, the Lopez–Carreno partnership had completed its full cycle. Meanwhile, Alcaraz was entering a new stage of his career — facing heavier schedules, constant tactical pressure, and the challenge of staying ahead as opponents studied his game closely.
Adding Samuel Lopez was a strategic move to strengthen the team around him.
There was also familiarity. Lopez had already worked within Alcaraz’s environment on multiple occasions. He was present during Alcaraz’s 2022 Miami Open title run, spent time with the team at Queen’s Club in 2023, and coached Alcaraz at the 2024 Australian Open when Ferrero was sidelined due to knee surgery. This made the transition natural rather than sudden.
In simple terms, this was not just a coaching change — it was a move from guiding a top-10 professional to helping shape the career of a generational superstar.
What Makes Coaching Carlos Alcaraz Different?
Coaching Carlos Alcaraz is a completely different challenge compared to coaching Pablo Carreno Busta. With Carreno Busta, the focus was consistency, structure, and maximizing efficiency. With Alcaraz, the challenge is control — knowing when to unleash his explosive talent and when to slow things down.
Alcaraz has every weapon: power, speed, touch, creativity, and athleticism. The coaching job becomes about decision-making, emotional balance, and refining details that decide major finals — serve placement, return positioning, and managing momentum swings.
Samuel Lopez has spoken about focusing on routines, mindset, and helping Alcaraz grow into his own identity rather than changing his natural style. That approach fits perfectly with a player who already has talent but needs long-term stability to dominate consistently.
The Future of Carlos Alcaraz and Samuel Lopez
Initially, Samuel Lopez worked alongside Juan Carlos Ferrero. But as the 2025 season progressed, Alcaraz and Ferrero eventually ended their long partnership by mutual agreement. That change elevated Lopez’s role significantly.
Heading into 2026, Samuel Lopez became the main guiding figure in Alcaraz’s corner, including during major tournaments. With Alcaraz targeting milestones like completing the career Grand Slam — particularly the Australian Open — Lopez’s experience in big events became even more valuable.
Alcaraz already has extraordinary talent. What Samuel Lopez brings is composure, structure, and the ability to navigate difficult moments.
If Lopez carries over the strength he built with Carreno Busta, this partnership could help Alcaraz become not just a great champion but an era-defining one.