Alcaraz's Ex Factor

Earlier this September, in what will be considered a pivotal moment in his young career, Ben Shelton beat Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinal of the US Open, braving a marathon five-setter late into the New York night. A couple of days later, the 24-year-old American reached his first-ever Major final, his finest hour in pro-tennis, even though he went on to lose to Alexander Zverev in the championship match.

That was Shelton’s first (and only) win over the new great, the Spaniard who is primed to challenge for the title of GOAT, what with Alcaraz having already won seven Grand Slam titles by the age of 23. Then, in their next meeting on November 10, normal service promptly resumed with Alcaraz beating Shelton in the final of the Paris Masters. Yet, it was Shelton who had claimed the bigger prize over his new rival, this time off the tennis court.

In the sporting equivalent of dating a friend’s ex, Shelton announced that he had hired Juan Carlos Ferrero to helm his coaching team for the 2027 season. Ferrero, the former Grand Slam champion and No.1, who discovered Alcaraz as a 15-year-old, shaped his progress every step of the way and was the brains behind each of his first six Grand Slam titles, will now be in Shelton’s box. It was just the kind of news to keep the tennis world busy and talking before the upcoming off-season.

There have been previous instances of a coach shifting loyalties in the recent past, but none as strange. As personal. Peter Lundgren, Roger Federer’s coach when he won his first Wimbledon in 2003, oversaw his former ward’s downfall at the 2005 Australian Open, the tactical genius behind the might of eventual champion Marat Safin.

A closer comparison to the current situation is perhaps Toni Nadal, uncle and coach of Rafael, forming an alliance with Felix Auger Aliassime a few years ago. But famously or infamously, when Rafa and Felix met at the 2022 French Open, Uncle Toni chose not to be seated in the Canadian’s box, opting to watch the match from the stands instead.

That, however, will not be the case with Ferrero in the future, despite Alcaraz having called him a ‘second father’ in the past. Their tag-team came to an abrupt end after Alcaraz’s US Open victory last year, with Ferrero altogether staying out of the circuit in 2026, even as his protégé ended up winning his first Australian Open and completing a career Grand Slam. These were all strong indications of a rift or a feud in their close-knit camp, akin to a bad break-up.

All of this has of course put Shelton in an awkward position, and he was asked about it after his loss to Alcaraz in Paris on Sunday. Shelton smiled wryly in the press conference, then answered. “Obviously, I reached out to him (Alcaraz) before the news dropped. I wanted to let him know because I know how long and successful their relationship has been. I don’t know if there is a better guy on tour than Carlos Alcaraz,” he said.

Following a pause, Shelton added: “He hit me back right away after winning Vienna and told me he was so happy for me, and how big the improvements in my game were going to be working with Juan Carlos. I think that’s what makes him such a great, graceful champion and someone that our sport really, really needs.”

In 2026, Shelton captured trophies in Dallas, Munich, Stuttgart and even defended his Masters title in Canada. Then he made his first Grand Slam final, instantly making himself a challenger to the Sinner-Alcaraz domination of men’s tennis. Over the last three years or so, tennis fans have openly wondered who could be the likely contender to form this era’s Big Three. Shelton, in cahoots with Ferrero, hasn’t just entered that conversation, he has made it very personal.