World No 4 Ben Shelton is reportedly set to hire Carlos Alcaraz’s former coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, for the 2027 season.

Speculation has been rife over which player Ferrero would link up with next following his shock split from Alcaraz at the end of 2025.

The likes of French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli and rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar have been linked with the former world No 1, but a Jannik Sinner team-up won’t happen after reportedly hiring Magnus Norman.

Ferrero himself said late last month that he had struck an “agreement” with a player but did not reveal who that individual would be. Now, according to The Times, the Spaniard will team up with Shelton after this season.

The big-serving American has worked with his father Brian Shelton, who was a former top 100 player himself, for the entirety of his career but now it seems Ferrero will join the 24-year-old’s team next year.

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This is quite the coup for Shelton, who beat Alcaraz at this year’s US Open in the quarter-finals, before falling to eventual champion Alexander Zverev in the final.

Shelton is at a career-high ranking of four after posting a season of 40-17 but it still seems that the Atlanta-born player has more to come from him. While he is one of the best servers on tour, his rallying prowess, return game, and consistency have been called into question.

His father, Brian, has done an excellent job since Shelton’s breakout year in 2023, but with Ferrero on board, the Spaniard could take his game to another level.

The former French Open champion was Alcaraz’s coach from the age of 15 and guided the 23-year-old to six Grand Slams before they parted ways last December.

Ferrero, who also briefly coached Zverev in 2017, said that his next coaching appointment would be announced on 9 November, but it seems the secret may be out.

He said last month, “Right now, my goal for next year is to be on the tour. And, well, I can already say that I’ve finalised an agreement with a player. It will be announced on November 9th.

“Right now, I can’t give any details. Who it will be, whether I’d like to play with them, or not. Obviously, coaching highly talented players is always the goal of any coach. Whether it’s now or whenever.”

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