Juan Carlos Ferrero will coach world No. 4 Ben Shelton from the 2027 season

The move becomes public

Juan Carlos Ferrero will coach Ben Shelton from the 2027 season, a move reported on Sunday, 1 November 2026, after The Times published the news ahead of the date Ferrero had planned, 9 November. Information about the arrangement also came from the Ferrero Tennis Academy. Shelton, 24, is currently ranked world No. 4 and will keep working with his father, Bryan Shelton, who has guided his development for years and once reached world No. 55 as a player. Ferrero, a former world No. 1 who won Roland Garros in 2003, will join a staff built around the family.

Shelton's record

Shelton, who is left-handed and 1.93 metres tall, has seven ATP titles. Four of them came in 2026, at Dallas, Munich, Stuttgart and the Masters 1000 event in Canada, where he has won both of his Masters 1000 titles. His breakthrough came in 2023, when he reached the semifinals of the US Open and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. This year he reached the US Open final, losing to Alexander Zverev, and on the way he beat Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. He has yet to win a Grand Slam title, which remains the main gap in his record.

Ferrero's path back

Ferrero, aged 46 according to El PaĂ­s, was world No. 1 in 2003 after winning Roland Garros that year. He split with Alcaraz in December 2025, ending a partnership that began when Alcaraz was 15 and carried him through six Grand Slam titles. After the break he spent time with his family and his academy, and in September he said he would return to the tour. His only previous spell with a star outside Spain came in 2017, when he joined Alexander Zverev's team for seven months before the two parted over differing views on professionalism and work habits. The new set-up differs from the one he built with Alcaraz, since an outside voice joins a family team.

Reaction from both camps

In a statement, Shelton called Ferrero one of the great minds in tennis and said his experience of winning at the highest level and developing champions would add real value to the team. Shelton also credited his father for his career. Ferrero praised Shelton's talent, power and character and said he was happy to join Bryan Shelton and the team. He added that he expects to bring his experience and help Shelton reach his goals at the biggest tournaments.

Alcaraz and the title race

La RazĂłn linked the news to Alcaraz's win over De Miñaur in Vienna, where he claimed his 28th career title from 37 finals, a 75.67 per cent win rate. The same tally shows Jannik Sinner with 30 titles from 39 finals, Zverev with 26 from 44 and Djokovic with 102 from 146. Among retired players, Nadal won 92 titles and Federer 103, while Jimmy Connors leads the list with 109 from 164 finals. La RazĂłn places Shelton among the firmest alternatives to Sinner and Alcaraz, alongside Zverev.

Jimmy Connors (retired)109

Roger Federer (retired)103

Novak Djokovic102

Rafael Nadal (retired)92

Jannik Sinner30

Carlos Alcaraz28

Alexander Zverev26

Jimmy Connors (retired)

109 titles

Roger Federer (retired)

103 titles

Novak Djokovic

102 titles

Rafael Nadal (retired)

92 titles

Jannik Sinner

30 titles

Carlos Alcaraz

28 titles

Alexander Zverev

26 titles

Data from the article text