American tennis star Ben Shelton has appointed Juan Carlos Ferrero as his new coach for the 2027 season. Ferrero will team up with Bryan Shelton next year to help push the 24-year-old toward the top of the world rankings, where he currently holds the fourth position behind Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Alexander Zverev.
WTA Stars Discuss the New Coaching Dynamic
Speaking on ‘The Player’s Box Podcast’ as reported by sports.yahoo.com, Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys shared their perspectives on the upcoming partnership. Pegula noted the significance of the hire on the men’s tour, pointing out that working with a non-American coach is a change for Shelton, even though his father Bryan will remain part of the setup.
Keys expressed curiosity about how Ferrero will adapt his coaching style, noting that Alcaraz has a very different personality from Shelton. Pegula mentioned that Shelton brings high energy and frequent momentum spikes to his matches, sometimes going for high-risk shots or second serves, while describing Ferrero as more level-headed and stern. Keys added that they are eager to see if Ferrero’s approach will help Shelton maintain his focus and whether any parallels will emerge from his past work with Alcaraz.
Recent Form and Paris Masters Run
Shortly after announcing his collaboration with Ferrero, Shelton advanced to the final of the Paris Masters. As detailed by sports.yahoo.com, he secured victories over Cameron Norrie, Arthur Rinderknech, Tommy Paul, and Luca Van Assche before falling to Alcaraz in the final with scores of 6-7, 5-7.
Shelton’s 2026 season has featured notable highlights alongside periods of inconsistency. He reached a Grand Slam quarter-final at the Australian Open and a final at the US Open, but suffered early exits at Wimbledon and the French Open. Across other major tournaments, he captured his second consecutive Canadian Open title and reached the Paris final, though he exited early at events like the Miami Open, Madrid Open, Italian Open, and Cincinnati Open without securing a win.
Shelton will now turn his attention to the ATP Finals starting on November 15 in Turin. Seeded third for the tournament, he aims to improve upon his performance after losing all three of his group-stage matches the previous year.
