Ben Shelton’s impending partnership with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero has been hailed as a “bombastic combination”.
After Ferrero and Carlos Alcaraz went their separate ways last December, many have speculated about where the Spaniard would end up next.
Many assumed the former world No 1 would link up with rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar, who only has his father, Rafael Jodar Sr, in his corner.
However, Ferrero and world No 4 Shelton shocked the world this week when it was announced that they would begin working together for the 2027 season.
Now, former top 100 player Nicolas Perreira has explained why this move felt so “left field”. Despite that, he appears to be relishing this soon-to-be partnership.
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He said on the Inside-In podcast, “Completely out of left, left field. I mean, talk about a ball over the Green Monster (a nickname for the left field wall at the Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park). You just couldn’t face it because there is a culture clash there.
“But on the other hand, [a] monster move by Ben and the Shelton team, Bryan. And I’m very, very happy because I’m one of those people in tennis that believe that you should find your complement and talk about opposite types of players.
“We all know about this. Andy Roddick had some very cool things to say, which I echo, but not to be repetitive. What was lacking in Ben’s game was consistency from the back, better defence.
“He’s got monster weapons. So I look forward to seeing this evolving. I said it when Darren Cahill started working with Jannik Sinner that they were going to click immediately. Well, I think this is a bombastic combination. Love it.”
Pereira contrasted this appointment with Magnus Norman joining Jannik Sinner’s coaching team, with the Swede replacing Darren Cahill and partnering Simone Vagnozzi.
The Colombian feels that the two “low-key” guys will complement each other nicely. Plus, he can see Stan Wawrinka’s former coach Norman spending more time across the year with Sinner than Ferrero will with Shelton. Incidentally, Pereira thinks Sinner has an “advantage” over Shelton as they prepare for their next coaching team-ups.
He added, “In contrast to the Shelton situation, I think these two match in character. They’re low-key guys, very quiet, don’t call attention to themselves, except inside the court with the magnificent tennis that they exude.
“I’m sure it was a little bit more methodical, with Darren Cahill maybe suggesting something like this, talking to Magnus Norman quite a bit. The advantage that Sinner might have over Shelton in this case is that he’s going to have Darren Cahill shoot an idea or two from the sidelines here and again.
“So I think that’s a big one. I think they have a very close personal relationship, which is what Darren did with all of his players. They all adore him. But I think it’s a much more logical match in the sense that they live close by. They live in Europe, so it’s a little bit better. Norman has been away from the game full-time for a bit.
“So I wonder how much he’s going to travel. But I imagine it’s going to be more weeks than the ones that Ferrero is going to travel with Shelton. I see this more as a full-time partnership, more so than the other one, because you have the Bryan Shelton element that has been working wonders.”
While much of the talk has been about Alcaraz facing Shelton with Ferrero in his corner, Pereira has looked at the Sinner-Shelton dynamic. The Italian holds a 9-1 head-to-head advantage over the American.
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