Juan Carlos Ferrero is expected to return to coaching next year, potentially alongside Rafael Jodar.
Last month, Ferrero confirmed his plans to coach again, having spent time away from the sport following his split from Carlos Alcaraz in December, 2025.
He has been rumoured to coach several players, including the world number one Jannik Sinner and Spanish youngster Jodar. Ferrero has already rejected offers to coach Flavio Cobolli, but what does he think about working with Jodar? The 46-year-old has now shared his thoughts.
Juan Carlos Ferrero says he will consider any offers to coach Rafael Jodar
“He shows a lot of hunger and a lot of desire. I’m not closing the door. He has tremendous potential; he has a lot of drive; he’s young; he wants to take on the world; and if the offer comes, I’ll consider it,” said Ferrero, appearing as a guest on ‘El Larguero‘ (translated from Spanish).
Which player will Juan Carlos Ferrero coach next?
The Spaniard left Carlos Alcaraz’s team at the end of 2025…
Ferrero would ‘consider’ an offer to coach Jodar, which is certainly interesting to hear, given he reportedly rejected offers from Cobolli, who is ranked six places above the Spaniard.
ATP Rankings
| Rank | Player | Age | Country | Points |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | 25 | Italy | 11,000 |
| 2 | Alexander Zverev | 29 | Germany | 9,720 |
| 3 | Carlos Alcaraz | 23 | Spain | 5,560 |
| 4 | Ben Shelton | 23 | USA | 4,680 |
| 5 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 26 | Canada | 3,890 |
| 6 | Daniil Medvedev | 30 | Russia | 3,860 |
| 7 | Flavio Cobolli | 24 | Italy | 3,680 |
| 8 | Novak Djokovic | 39 | Serbia | 3,480 |
| 9 | Alex de Minaur | 27 | Australia | 3,430 |
| 10 | Frances Tiafoe | 28 | USA | 3,380 |
| 11 | Arthur Fils | 22 | France | 3,275 |
| 12 | Taylor Fritz | 28 | USA | 2,880 |
| 13 | Rafael Jodar | 20 | Spain | 2,659 |
| 14 | Valentin Vacherot | 27 | Monaco | 2,450 |
| 15 | Jakub Mensik | 21 | Czechia | 2,445 |
However, the big difference is that Jodar is four years younger than Cobolli, and many believe he will win multiple Grand Slam titles during his career. Jodar is arguably the sport’s greatest prospect since Alcaraz, the player Ferrero coached for six years.
Perhaps with Ferrero in his corner, Jodar can achieve similar greatness to his countryman. Even without Ferrero, Jodar has established himself as a top-20 player, with his father’s guidance.
The young Spaniard has enjoyed several impressive results this year, reaching the French Open quarter-finals and winning his maiden ATP title in Morocco at the Grand Prix Hassan II event.
Rafael Jodar’s best results in 2026
- Grand Prix Hassan II – Champion
- Canadian Open – Semi-finalist
- French Open – Quarter-finalist
- Davis Cup – Quarter-finalist*
- Madrid Open – Quarter-finalist
- Italian Open – Quarter-finalist
However, it hasn’t all gone to plan for Jodar. He suffered early exits at his last two tournaments and will be keen to bounce back at the upcoming Shanghai Masters.
Who will Rafael Jodar play at the Shanghai Masters?
After losing to Yunchaokete Bu in the first round of the US Open and to Adolfo Vallejo in the first round of the Japan Open, Jodar is in need of a strong week at the Shanghai Masters.
As the 12th seed, Jodar receives a bye into the second round, where he will play Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante. If he wins, he will likely play Jiri Lehecka, the Japan Open finalist, in the third round.
Rafael Jodar’s Shanghai Masters draw
| Round | Highest-ranked potential opponent | Potential seeded opponents |
| First round | – | – |
| Second round | Thiago Agustin Tirante (54) | – |
| Third round | Jiri Lehecka (16) | [22] Jiri Lehecka |
| Fourth round | Arthur Fils (11) | [8] Arthur Fils, [31] Alex Michelsen |
| Quarter-final | Felix Auger-Aliassime (5) | [4] Felix Auger-Aliassime, [14] Learner Tien, [20] Casper Ruud, [29] Alejandro Tabilo |
| Semi-final | Carlos Alcaraz (3) | [2] Carlos Alcaraz, [5] Daniil Medvedev, [11] Taylor Fritz, [15] Tommy Paul, [17] Valentin Vacherot, [18] Luciano Darderi, [28] Tomas Martin Etcheverry, [32] Ignacio Buse |
| Final | Alexander Zverev (2) | [1] Alexander Zverev, [3] Ben Shelton, [6] Flavio Cobolli, [7] Frances Tiafoe, [9] Alex de Minaur, [10] Novak Djokovic, [13] Jakub Mensik, [16] Brandon Nakashima, [19] Alexander Bublik, [21] Francisco Cerundolo, [23] Andrey Rublev, [24] Lorenzo Musetti, [25] Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, [26] Karen Khachanov, [27] Alexander Blockx, [30] Ugo Humbert |
Looking ahead, Jodar could play Arthur Fils in the fourth round, Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals, Alcaraz in the semis, and Alexander Zverev in the final.
If Jodar is to win his first Masters 1000 title in Shanghai, he will need to beat some of the very best players in the men’s game. He will play his second-round match on Saturday, October 10.
