Ben Shelton will start working with Carlos Alcaraz’s former coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, at the start of next season.

On Sunday, Ferrero was confirmed to join Shelton’s team in 2027, ending speculation over which player he was set to take under his wing, whom he was planning to reveal on November 9. The 46-year-old Spaniard, who guided Alcaraz to six of his seven Grand Slam titles, will work alongside Shelton’s current coach and father, Bryan.

Ben Shelton talks about hiring Juan Carlos Ferrero

Shelton will get his first campaign underway since announcing the news at the Paris Masters, where he is seeded third. The 24-year-old American has received a bye at the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the year, and will take on Cameron Norrie in his opening match.

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In an interview with TNT Sports, Shelton spoke about hiring Ferrero for the first time. He said: “He’s a great coach. One of the best coaches in the world. He was also world number one as a player. I think there’s so much experience and wisdom that he can bring to our team and make a big difference for me in my career.”

Shelton has been working with his dad since he was young and has risen to a career-high ranking of fourth in the world with him in his corner. This season marked Shelton’s best year on the ATP Tour so far, during which he captured four ATP titles.

He emerged triumphant in Dallas, Munich, Stuttgart and in Montreal, where he defended his Canadian Open title, adding a second ATP Masters 1000 crown to his tally. Shelton then reached the final of a major for the first time in his career at the US Open, where he was denied a maiden Grand Slam title by Alexander Zverev in the final.

Outside of his success, Shelton also suffered a number of early exits at big tournaments, including second and first-round exits at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, respectively. Excluding the Canadian Open, he has not made it past the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 event.