Carlos Alcaraz’s former coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, sparked reactions among tennis fans after admitting he coached Ben Shelton during the American’s run at the Paris Masters. Shelton reached the final in Paris and locked horns with Alcaraz.

The Spaniard won the first set in a tie-break despite Shelton putting him under pressure in the early moments. Shelton broke Alcaraz in the second set, but the seven-time Grand Slam champion fought back to level at 4-4. He sealed the win with an impressive forehand pass and backhand winner. Alcaraz beat Shelton 7-6(5), 7-5 and took revenge for the American defeating him in a five-set quarter-final thriller at the US Open.

Following Shelton’s defeat, Alcaraz’s former coach Ferrero admitted to helping the American prepare for the clash, stating it felt unusual after having coached the Spaniard for a long time.

“I felt strange. It was the first time in eight years that I had to come up with things to counter Carlos’s game. I was talking to Ben and his father all week in Paris. In that respect, it was strange, but you have to be professional and, from now on, we have to work as hard as possible to help Ben improve in every area.”

However, Ferrero received huge backlash for his involvement in Shelton’s preparation, with one fan turning it into a head-to-head record between him and Alcaraz.

“Alcaraz 1, Ferrero 0,” the fan wrote.

Another fan questioned the outcome of his involvement and asked:

“How did that work out for Ben?”

One fan called Ferrero out for talking about Alcaraz even after ending the partnership, chiming in: “He just doesn’t stop! Despite training a new person, he still cannot resist talking about Alcaraz!”

Here are a few more reactions:

Ben Shelton reveals Carlos Alcaraz’s reaction to him entering into a partnership with Juan Carlos Ferrero

Ben Shelton recently revealed Carlos Alcaraz’s reaction to him joining forces with the Spaniard’s former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. Shelton wanted to inform Alcaraz about his decision before the media announced the news.

Speaking to Tennis Channel ahead of his Paris Masters final, Shelton praised Alcaraz for being supportive of the new partnership and wished him success.

“Obviously I reached out to him 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 that there’s a better guy on tour than Carlos Alcaraz. He hit me back right away after winning Vienna. He told me he was so happy for me and how big the improvements in my game were gonna 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.”

Alcaraz ended his partnership with Juan Carlos Ferrero in December 2025 after seven successful years. The Spaniard won six Grand Slam titles and reached the top of the ATP rankings under Ferrero’s mentorship.