Rick Macci suggests Carlos Alcaraz the biggest winner if Sinner-Ferrero partnership comes to fruition

The rumour mill has been going into overdrive as of late, and once more Juan Carlos Ferrero is at the heart of it. The Spaniard noted his intention of coming back to coaching in tennis in 2027 with a specific player lined up. If the rumours are on point, then it could be for World No.1 Jannik Sinner, a move that Rick Macci would passionately oppose.

Having worked with Carlos Alcaraz for seven years, it would be a radical step to switch allegiances and partner with his biggest foe, possibly causing havoc in a number of relationships in the process with bridges at risk of burning.

This whole saga commenced at the end of 2025 with the stunning and surprising news that Ferrero, who had aided Alcaraz's rise to the top of tennis, was set to depart. Six Grand Slam titles and countless weeks as World No.1, all from a very young age, were overseen by Ferrero, who had boosted his reputation as a phenomenal coach.

He has taken a year out of the sport, assessing his options and even going over into different sports, becoming the mental performance and professional development coach to Spanish golf player Ángel Ayora.

However, the former Roland Garros winner's heart still very much remains in tennis, and a return was confirmed to be on the cards by Ferrero himself. "I think I'm going to come back on the tennis tour, but I can't say with whom," the 46-year-old commented.

The mystery still has not been solved, but a lot of predictions and guesses were directed to some of the top ATP players. Rafael Jodar was one, with his loyalty to his dad paramount in his success.

However, it then turned the way of Sinner, who is currently working under Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozz. There has been some chatter about Cahill stepping back from the team, and he even had intentions of walking away into retirement in 2025. Despite this, his mind was turned thanks to positive results, and he has stuck around for just one more year.

If the Aussie were to depart, this leaves a great void in the Sinner team that needs to be filled. The five-time Grand Slam champion is the best player on the planet currently and will need someone to match that calibre. That is where Ferrero joins the conversation.

Macci, who has coached the likes of the Williams sisters, Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova, urged Sinner and Ferrero not to go through with this move. "If Ferrero ends up coaching/helping Sinner, my take is the exact opposite," he wrote on X. "This would help Carlos the most if they played."

He explained the thinking behind this bold take. "Now he mentally digs even deeper (if possible) and beats both of them now and then. Adversity makes greatness stronger. Greatness finds another gear ear to ear. Plus the pro travel coaches get way too much credit and way too much blame. Anybody can help anybody and a different set of eyes is sometimes good as long as they are not crossed. When Carlos is in full flight no matter what the opponent knows or does it is still goodnight."

Alcaraz started the year with a bang, winning the Australian Open to complete the career Grand Slam. He did not seem to miss Ferrero one bit as he backed it up with the Qatar Open title. Then, the tables turned and Sinner won everything. Five Masters 1000 titles were secured as Alcaraz began a torrid period away from the sport due to injury. A collapse at Roland Garros was a blip for the Italian who successfully defended his Wimbledon title before himself becoming absent from the sport due to a knee injury. Alcaraz returned for the US Open, making it all the way to the quarter-finals before Ben Shelton put on a masterclass to oust the 23-year-old.

The duo have faced off just once this year in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters, in which Sinner won. After facing off in three Grand Slams, two Masters 1000s and the ATP Finals final last year, 2026 had proven to be the next chapter of their compelling rivalry, but in truth it has been an anticlimax. The first tournament that they will both compete in since Monaco will be the Shanghai Masters. They also may bump into each other at the Paris Masters while already having sealed their spots in the ATP Finals. If these Ferrero rumours continue to swirl with some force, then it could be a hugely intriguing end to the campaign.