Ben Shelton’s form since reaching the US Open final has nosedived rather dramatically, and has thus seen him end arguably the greatest year of his career on an underwhelming note.
There is still time to finish strong, with the Paris Masters and ATP Finals just around the corner, but shock early defeats have become commonplace in the last month or so.
If the American was looking for a boost, or a reason to raise his level, he’s certainly now got one, with a brand-new coach to impress.
After all, whilst Carlos Alcaraz was winning his first Vienna Open title, the news broke that his former coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, would be coaching Shelton for the new season.
How do you think Ben Shelton will perform next season after hiring Juan Carlos Ferrero? 💭
Will he win a Grand Slam title? 🏆
Alcaraz’s immediate reaction to this information was one of disbelief, claiming he needed more proof before offering his real views.
However, just hours later, both parties would provide that confirmation.
Ben Shelton and Juan Carlos Ferrero both confirm 2027 coaching partnership
In a statement shared by Starwing Sports Management, they confirm that the American will partner up with ‘one of the most accomplished figures in tennis’ in Juan Carlos Ferrero, joining up with his father and current coach, Bryan Shelton.
Within this press release, both the player and the new coach offered their thoughts on this partnership, with Ben Shelton the first.
He claimed: “Juan Carlos is one of the great minds in tennis. His experience of winning at the highest level and developing champions will be a huge asset to our team. My dad has been such an important part of my journey, and I’m excited about what we can all achieve together as we look to the future.”
Ferrero, who had been linked as a potential new coach for Jannik Sinner, then added: ”Ben has extraordinary talent, power and character.
“I’m very happy to join Bryan and the team in this exciting new chapter. I’m looking forward to contributing my experience and working together with everyone to help Ben achieve his ambitions on the biggest stages.”
What did Carlos Alcaraz win under Juan Carlos Ferrero?
Given the time they spent together, and that Ferrero began coaching Alcaraz when he was just 15 years old, almost everything the young Spaniard has won came with him by his side.
That obviously excludes all he has accomplished this year, having claimed his first-ever Australian Open title as well as more recent successes in Tokyo and Vienna.
| CATEGORY | COUNT | TITLES |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Slams | 6 | US Open 2022, Wimbledon 2023, Roland Garros 2024, Wimbledon 2024, Roland Garros 2025, US Open 2025 |
| Masters 1000 | 8 | Miami 2022, Madrid 2022, Indian Wells 2023, Madrid 2023, Indian Wells 2024, Monte Carlo 2025, Rome 2025, Cincinnati 2025 |
| ATP 500 | 8 | Rio 2022, Barcelona 2022, Barcelona 2023, Queen’s 2023, Beijing 2024, Rotterdam 2025, Queen’s 2025, Tokyo 2025 |
| ATP 250 | 2 | Umag 2021, Buenos Aires 2023 |
| Total | 24 |
However, other than that, these Spanish superstars won 24 ATP Tour-level titles together, six of which came at the Grand Slam level.
A further eight were Masters 1000 events, including his first in Miami, in which he became the youngest champion in the tournament’s history.
Afterwards, he claimed: “Juan Carlos is a very important person for me. On the professional side, on the personal side, he helps me a lot on both sides.
”I consider him a coach and a friend as well. So I can talk to him about everything.”
It will be interesting to see if this dynamic changes after all Ferrero has said over the past year, before now joining up with a rival.
