Juan Carlos Ferrero Open to the Idea of Coaching Jannik Sinner in the Future: “Why Not?”

Five months ago, the tennis world was shaken with the news of Carlos Alcaraz and coach Juan Carlos Ferrero’s split. Alcaraz enjoyed an exceptional 2025 season, in which he won 8 titles, including 2 Grand Slams, and finished the year as the year-end World No. 1. The split after an extremely successful season came as a shock to everyone; however, it was later attributed to contractual disputes.

Ferrero had coached Alcaraz since he was 15 and guided him to his first 24 ATP titles. The two Spaniards shared a deep bond, with Alcaraz even calling Ferrero his ‘second father’.

While Alcaraz has enjoyed a few successful months after the split, winning his maiden Australian Open title to complete the career Grand Slam, Ferrero has often spoken about the pain of this breakup and the difficulty of moving on from this chapter of his life.

In a recent interview with Corriere della Serra, Ferrero weighed in on the prospect of coaching Alcaraz’s archrival Jannik Sinner:

Just a few months ago, I would have said no: the breakup with Carlos was fresh, I wouldn’t have been ready. But now that I feel stronger, I say: why not? Sinner loves to work hard and is willing to do anything to stay No. 1: I like his attitude. It would be wonderful to coach him.

This is not the first time Ferrero has touched upon the subject of Sinner. Last month on Alcaraz’s birthday, fans were quick to notice Ferrero sharing a poster on his Instagram story highlighting Sinner’s Madrid Open victory. The former World No. 1 does not shy away from dropping subtle hints and statements about his feelings.

Sinner, on the other hand, has been coached by Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill since 2022. Though Cahill initially planned to retire from coaching at the end of the 2025 season, he extended his tenure to coach Sinner throughout the 2026 season. Cahill’s prospective departure might raise the need for a new coach, and this is an opportunity that Ferrero could be deeply interested in.

Juan Carlos Ferrero chooses his favorite Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner match

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the ATP tour, ushering in a new rivalry post the Big 3 era. The duo shared the last 9 Grand Slams, and while things are slightly different now with Alcaraz’s injury and Sinner’s early elimination at Roland Garros, paving the way for a new Grand Slam champion, it won’t be long, perhaps, before we see them dominate the tour once again. Juan Carlos Ferrero, who coached Alcaraz throughout the first 16 meetings of the pair, also spoke about his favorite Sinner-Alcaraz match:

The fourth at the 2022 US Open, with match point saved by Carlos: that match launched the rivalry. But I can’t help but mention last year’s Paris final, with three match points for Jannik. That Sunday, something supernatural happened. Carlos never gives up, even when he seems dead: we shouted at him from the box to believe, and in situations like that, he gets excited, he raises his level. He’s a warrior.

Their 2022 US Open quarterfinal clash could be called the onset of their iconic rivalry. Clocking five hours and 15 minutes, this marked the second-longest match in US Open history. The Spaniard saved a match point in the fourth set and eventually sealed the win in five sets. He went on to win the tournament, claiming his maiden Grand Slam title and becoming the youngest ATP World No. 1 in the Open Era.

Alcaraz presently leads the head-to-head 10-7 against Sinner, with Sinner having won their last two meetings. 2026 has been marked by a great dearth of ‘Sincaraz’ matches, with the pair having only met once this season, compared to their 6 meetings last season across all three surfaces.

2025 gave fans some memorable matches, including the epic Roland Garros final, where Alcaraz saved three championship points. The sole ‘Sincaraz’ match this year took place in the Monte-Carlo Masters final, where Sinner dethroned Alcaraz to win his maiden big clay title.

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