Andy Roddick believes Juan Carlos Ferrero may have chosen Ben Shelton because he sees the American as a potential challenger to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Roddick also suggested Ferrero could have had his split with Alcaraz in mind when making the decision.
Ferrero and Shelton are set to begin working together in the off-season ahead of 2027. The Spanish coach had been linked with several possible players after parting ways with Alcaraz at the end of the 2025 season, but ultimately joined forces with Shelton, who reached the 2026 US Open final. Shelton has said he wants to improve his clay-court game under Ferrero.
Speaking about the partnership, Roddick said Ferrero’s experience and Shelton’s development needs could complement one another. He also pointed to Shelton’s father, Brian, remaining on the coaching team as an important practical factor, allowing Ferrero to contribute without requiring either coach to relocate for long periods.
Roddick described Alcaraz and Sinner as the leading players Shelton would need to get past. He suggested Ferrero might view Shelton as a strong option for that task, while acknowledging the personal dimension of Ferrero’s previous relationship with Alcaraz.
Shelton is currently ranked world No. 4, but his head-to-head records against the two players show the scale of the challenge. He has lost nine of his 10 matches with Sinner and three of his four against Alcaraz. Improving those results will be a key part of preparing him to compete with both at Grand Slam level.
Sources: Tennis365.