From Carlos Alcaraz to Ben Shelton: Juan Carlos Ferrero Takes Up Coaching Role Alongside American Star’s Father – But not as the main coach

Everyone knows that Juan Carlos Ferrero helped turn a teenage Carlos Alcaraz into a six-time Grand Slam champion and the youngest world No. 1 in ATP history. Over seven years, he offered the guidance that helped turn promise into greatness. But now, as whispers grow louder about who will next inherit this championship DNA, the ultimate wildcard looms.

That next challenge points to Ben Shelton, with Ferrero set to join the American’s coaching team for the 2027 season. Rather than taking over, the Spaniard will work alongside Shelton’s father and longtime coach, Bryan. It looks like a partnership that brings two distinct coaching backgrounds into the same box.

The agreement became public sooner than Ferrero had planned. After The Times reported the move, Iñaki Etxegia, CEO of the Ferrero Tennis Academy, confirmed it in a statement that included comments from both Shelton and his new coach. Ferrero had originally intended to reveal his next player on November 9.

For Shelton, the appeal lies in adding championship experience without losing the guidance that has brought him this far.

“Juan Carlos is one of the great minds in tennis. His experience winning at the highest level and developing champions will be an enormous asset to our team,” he said in the statement reported by AS. “My dad has played a huge role in my journey, and I’m excited about what we can accomplish together moving forward.”

Ferrero, meanwhile, pointed to the qualities he sees in his next pupil.

“Ben has extraordinary talent, power and character,” he said. “I’m delighted to join Bryan and the team for this exciting new chapter.”

His role will be to build on an established partnership, with Bryan remaining alongside his son as preparations begin for the 2027 season.

The American has already built an impressive resume. He won the Masters 1000 titles in Toronto and Montreal and reached the US Open final in 2026. His season also featured a memorable run at the Australian Open, where he reached the quarterfinals. At 24, Shelton has established himself among the leading players on the ATP Tour, but Ferrero’s arrival could offer another perspective as he looks to take the next step in his career.

For Ferrero, the appointment would mark his return to the coaching circuit after leaving Alcaraz’s team in December 2025. Their partnership began when the Spaniard was just 15 and lasted more than seven years. Together, they reached the top of men’s tennis, with Alcaraz winning six Grand Slam titles and becoming the youngest player to reach world No. 1.

The separation came just six days after Ferrero and Samuel López were named Coach of the Year at the 2025 ATP Awards on December 11. Together, they had guided Alcaraz to eight titles, including the French Open and US Open, a 71–9 match record and the year-end No. 1 ranking. When the split was announced on December 17, it brought an end to the partnership immediately after one of its most successful seasons.

Alcaraz continued working with López, who had formally joined his coaching team before the 2025 season and shared responsibilities with Ferrero. That gave him continuity despite the departure of his longtime mentor, while Ferrero faced the decision of when, and with whom, to return to coaching.

Ferrero had already confirmed that he would return to coaching in 2027, although he initially kept his next player’s identity secret. In an interview with Eurosport Spain, he finally spoke up about what fans can expect regarding his coaching career.

“Right now, my goal for next year is to be on the tour. And, well, I can already say that I’ve finalized an agreement with a player. It will be announced on November 9th,” Ferrero said, translated from Spanish. “Right now, I can’t give any details. Who it will be, whether I’d like to play with them, or not.”

The report linking him to Shelton has brought his next chapter into focus ahead of the planned announcement. But it’s not a surprise that Ferrero is keeping this on the downlow. He had largely kept the details of his split with Alcaraz private, until lately.

Ferrero Opens Up About His Split With Carlos Alcaraz

The reported move comes shortly after Ferrero offered his most detailed reflections yet on the end of his partnership with Alcaraz. Speaking to Spanish newspaper El Mundo while promoting his autobiography, Mentalidad ganadora, the former French Open champion challenged the suggestion that his demanding coaching style had been too restrictive.

“Saying no to a lot of things is essential,” Ferrero said, “but with Carlos I wasn’t too strict, not at all,” according to Tennis Majors.

Ferrero also rejected the idea that their bond resembled a father-son relationship. He insisted that family, friendship, and professional coaching needed clear boundaries, even though trust and affection had played important roles in their success.

He also pushed back against the idea that one incident had brought the partnership to an end. Asked whether he would change how it ended, Ferrero looked beyond their final months together.

“I’d change things about his career, not just the last year,” he told El Mundo, according to Tennis Majors. He did not identify specific decisions, leaving the precise reasons for their separation unresolved.

The separation was not easy for him. Ferrero admitted that he did not watch Alcaraz win the Australian Open, the first major title the Spaniard claimed without his former coach in the box. He later said that he had resumed watching and analysing Alcaraz’s matches and was feeling better about the split.

His next appointment could offer a different kind of challenge. Ferrero has said he does not want to start from scratch with another teenage prospect, as he did with Alcaraz. Shelton already has Masters 1000 titles and a Grand Slam final behind him, giving the Spaniard an established player to work with.

Ferrero’s return will also come with a lighter travel schedule. Before Shelton was identified as his next player, the Spaniard had said he would not attend every tournament, according to Tennis Majors. He also made clear that he was no longer looking for the time-intensive commitment of developing a teenager from the ground up.

With Bryan Shelton remaining on the team, the arrangement will bring Ferrero’s experience into an established coaching partnership. How they divide tournament coverage and day-to-day responsibilities has not been detailed in the announcements, leaving that as one of the practical questions ahead of their first season together.