Ferrero will be Ben Shelton's coach in 2027
The former Spanish player and coach will start working with Ben Shelton next season, without the tennis player's father leaving the team.
Juan Carlos Ferrero now has a new professional challenge. Although he stated a few days ago that the mystery would be revealed on November 9, it has finally leaked that Ben Shelton will be his next pupil. The decision has been endorsed by Bryan Shelton, who wants an external voice to complement the team.
The explosive news came from the newspaper The Times just minutes after Carlos Alcaraz was crowned champion in Vienna. As if their destinies were intertwined, it has been revealed that Juan Carlos Ferrero, the former coach and key figure in the Murcian's career, will return to the ATP circuit to be the coach of Ben Shelton.
There had been much speculation about the possibility of the former number 1 in the world starting a venture on the sidelines with Sinner, Jódar, or even Rune, but in the end, it will be the best American at the moment and one of the great future star projects in world tennis who has decided to hire his services.
Ferrero will share coaching duties with Bryan Shelton, Ben's father
It is important to highlight that all of Ben Shelton's tennis career has been guided by his father, Bryan Shelton, a former player who reached world number 55. He has led him to be a Grand Slam finalist and currently number 4 in the world, but both have considered that they need an extra voice in the team, someone to provide a counterbalance in technical, tactical, and mental advice, so that the American continues to progress.
EXCLUSIVE: Ben Shelton is hiring Juan Carlos Ferrero The Spaniard, who guided Carlos Alcaraz to six grand-slam titles, will work alongside Shelton’s father and lifelong coach Bryan next season. https://t.co/zsFkkMlVRw
— Tom Kershaw (@trlkershaw) November 1, 2026
The great challenge for Ben Shelton is to prove to the world that he can be the significant alternative to the power established by Alcaraz, Sinner, and, to a lesser extent, Zverev, by winning Grand Slam titles and becoming a major star. In fact, it is emblematic that this arises shortly after Carlos Alcaraz lost to Shelton in an unforgettable match at the US Open, having a head-to-head record of 3-1 in favor of the Spaniard.
There will be significant media interest in this new professional partnership, which could signify the start of a special rivalry between Ben Shelton and an Alcaraz who may soon weigh in on this news. Juan Carlos Ferrero has a grand adventure ahead of him in his return to the ATP circuit as a coach.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ferrero será el entrenador de Ben Shelton en 2027