Carlos Alcaraz reunites with former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero as Ben Shelton chapter begins

Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero were once deemed the most lethal partnership on the ATP Tour. Ferrero had guided his young prodigy to the elite of tennis, and he has become the dominant force. That has continued to be so despite the pair going their separate ways. Now Ferrero is back in the sport, the duo had a heartwarming reunion after almost a year apart.

Ferrero took Alcaraz under his wing from the age of 15, and four years later the results were staggering. The US Open champion and World No.1, Alcaraz, was no longer a talent for the future. He had arrived on the big stage and was one of the best players in the world.

That continued as the duo enjoyed so much success alongside each other. Six Grand Slam titles, eight Masters 1000 triumphs and numerous weeks as the World No.1 at the age of 22 is an incredible return. It seemed that the pair would create a dynasty alongside each other, but tennis is not always like that.

The news of their split came out of the blue. No one saw it coming, but it left a lot of question marks around both players and coach.

Alcaraz would soon get back on his feet with a familiar coaching lineup headlined by Samuel Lopez, completing the career Grand Slam at the Australian Open after defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. He would back that up with Qatar Open success, but a slight dip in form led to his ultimate wrist injury that kept him away from the court for a long period of time.

He is now back and the ominous threat that he has always been, winning the titles in Tokyo, Vienna and most recently the Paris Masters against Ben Shelton. That is significant with the American's final tournament before getting Ferrero in his camp.

The former Roland Garros winner spent much of this year away from the sport, taking a break and assessing his options. He could have gone wherever he wanted but opted to work with Shelton and his dad, Bryan, in a significant change that has got a lot of tennis fans intrigued.

A year on from their final competition together, Alcaraz and Ferrero were finally reunited. They enjoyed a warm embrace on the court ahead of a practice session, still showing that the bond away from tennis is still alight.

According to Marca, that was the first time laying eyes on each other in 361 days. After reaching the final of the ATP Finals, Alcaraz was accompanied to the Davis Cup Finals by Ferrero before saying goodbye at the team hotel. The 23-year-old was forced to pull out of competing in the tournament due to an injury precaution after his ATP Finals participation, and the duo would confirm their split in the coming weeks.

They have both gone their separate ways, and Ferrero's motivation will be in a completely different arena. The World No.4, Shelton has cemented that position in the rankings after a mixed year on court. Four ATP titles headlined by the Canadian Open title defence. He also lost in the final of the Paris Masters against Alcaraz, but the highlight was the US Open final run, where he lost out to Alexander Zverev.

Ferrero will come in to iron out the mistakes and take the 24-year-old to the next level. Numerous early exits at Grand Slam and Masters 1000 level halted his progress, with the consistency in 2026 not evident. Shelton and Ferrero will hope to hit the ground running at the ATP Finals. It is the second time Shelton has featured in the tournament, failing to pick up a win last time out. He will take on Arthur Fils in his opening match, with Alcaraz opening his account on Monday against Frances Tiafoe.