The three players Juan Carlos Ferrero could coach next after Carlos Alcaraz split

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Juan Carlos Ferrero is a free agent and will now surely be one of the most sought-after coaches in the men’s game.

To the surprise of almost everyone, Ferrero and Carlos Alcaraz split after seven years together.

Why do you think Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero split?

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During their partnership, Alcaraz became the world number one and won six Grand Slam titles.

It’s unclear why they decided to part ways, having enjoyed so much success together.

Looking ahead to 2026, several players on the ATP Tour would be wise to call Ferrero and try to convince him to join their teams, including world number six, Taylor Fritz…

Three players Juan Carlos Ferrero could coach next

Who would you like to see Juan Carlos Ferrero coach next?

• Taylor Fritz?
• Ben Shelton?
• Someone else?

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American number one Fritz impressed again in 2025, but remains a step behind Alcaraz and his rival Jannik Sinner.

He’s formed a great partnership with his coach, Michael Russell, but perhaps it’s time for the 47-year-old to step aside…

During the latest episode of the ‘Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast‘, doubles legend Rennae Stubbs suggested Fritz could benefit from a coaching change.

“I love Michael Russell,” she said.

“But I think he just needs to add something extra, and I have talked about it; his net play needs to get better

“I think maybe it’s time for him to look for a new coach.”

Perhaps Ferrero could be that ‘new coach’, after all, he didn’t do a bad job improving Alcaraz’s net play!

Fritz may be the highest-ranked player who needs a new coach, but there may be others with more potential…

One such player is Fritz’s fellow American, Ben Shelton.

Shelton made another leap forward in 2025, breaking into the top 10 for the first time in his career.

2025 ATP year-end top 10

The 23-year-old is coached by his father, Bryan Shelton, who himself played on the ATP Tour.

It was, however, clear at the ATP Finals in Turin that Shelton’s game is lacking against the very best players in men’s tennis.

On debut, Shelton lost all three of his singles matches and was the only player at the event to finish with an 0-3 record.

Adding a Grand Slam-winning coach to his team might be what Shelton requires to win a major title of his own and start challenging the top five more regularly.

Another player who should consider calling Ferrero is Norway’s Casper Ruud.

The three-time Grand Slam finalist took a step backwards this year, falling out of the world’s top 10.

He does, however, remain one of the most talented players around, especially on clay.

That being the surface on which Ferrero won his Grand Slam title, could make the pair a perfect match.

Ferrero has also been known to appreciate and demand hard work and dedication from his pupils, something that Ruud, from all accounts, has in abundance.

If anyone is going to take Ruud to that next level, it’s going to be someone like Ferrero.

It is, however, important to note that nobody knows whether Ferrero intends to make a swift return to coaching.

After all, his split from Alcaraz may have been due to his unwillingness to travel around the world as a full-time coach…

Who did Juan Carlos Ferrero coach before Carlos Alcaraz?

Ferrero began his coaching career alongside Germany’s Alexander Zverev.

Together, they won titles at the Washington Open and Canadian Open in 2017, but struggled during the latter stages of the season.

Zverev was upset early at the US Open and failed to advance to the semifinals of the ATP Finals in November.

Another early exit at the 2018 Australian Open spelled trouble, and the pair split shortly after.

Ferrero spoke out about Zverev’s attitude on several occasions, criticising his punctuality.

While it’s unclear who Ferrero will choose to coach next, the chances are it won’t be Zverev…