"Ferrero cannot take the goal of beating Alcaraz personally"
Brad Gilbert believes that the Spanish coach should focus on making his path with the American and not on whether he can beat his former pupil or not.
A few days ago, the addition of Juan Carlos Ferrero to the team of Ben Shelton, was made official, causing quite a stir. The former coach of Carlos Alcaraz will join Bryan Shelton on the American's bench starting in 2027, and renowned coach Brad Gilbert has advised the Spaniard not to focus on beating Alcaraz, but rather on developing Shelton.
A former number 1 like Andy Roddick said upon hearing the announcement that he believed Ferrero was joining Shelton because he saw him as capable of beating Alcaraz. However, Gilbert believes that Juan Carlos cannot focus on his former pupil when making improvements for Ben or setting specific goals. According to Brad in his own podcast, the priority is to maximize Shelton's talent, as he has all the qualities to compete for the major titles on the circuit.
“One fundamental thing for coaches is that they cannot take it personally that their goal is to beat their former player. It’s about training your player to improve without getting personally involved. If you’ve been fired or let go, it’s about working with this player to maximize their potential, rather than thinking: 'Oh my God, all I want to do is beat Alcaraz.' You need a player with certain skills who can be a viable option," Gilbert stated on 'The Big T Podcast'.
Can Shelton reach the level of Alcaraz, Sinner, and Zverev?
In fact, the main goal of Juan Carlos Ferrero and Bryan Shelton will be to elevate Ben to the same level as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alexander Zverev. Ambitious words. For now, the American tennis player has already established himself as the number 4 in the world, and he still aims for much more. His serve is among the best on the circuit in both power and variety, his forehand is similarly impressive, and his volley is also elite.
His major weakness is the backhand, something that needs to be refined in the preseason to avoid complications in matches that he should win more comfortably. It is true that this year he has won the Masters 1000 in Montreal once again and reached the final of the US Open, but it should not be forgotten that he has suffered several tough losses in Grand Slams and has not met expectations in many of the Masters 1000. If he improves that backhand, achieves more consistency, and Ferrero contributes his expertise, keep a close eye on Shelton for the upcoming year.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Ferrero no puede tomarse como personal el objetivo de vencer a Alcaraz"