Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s rivalry takes a surprising turn with unexpected ‘betrayal’ rumors.
Carlos Alcaraz’s former coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, recently shared that he plans to come back to the ATP Tour in 2027. There are also talks linking him to Alcaraz’s long-time competitor, Jannik Sinner.
Ferrero, who was a Grand Slam finalist himself, coached Alcaraz to six Major titles, including two big wins against Sinner in 2025 at Roland Garros and the US Open.
The Tennis Weekly Podcast (TWP) has mentioned that more reports are coming out suggesting Ferrero might join Sinner’s team in 2027. These rumors first came up through journalist Gonzalo Ferreyra. He said former world No.4 Jose Luis Clerc, nicknamed Batata, hinted that Ferrero would coach Sinner in 2027. Ferreyra shared this on X and added that another source confirmed it, though he hasn’t named them yet.
Just before TWP’s update, Tennis Italiano stated that in Spain, many are sure Ferrero will return to coach either Sinner or a rising star named Rafael Jodar.
TWP also wondered how friendly Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner would be if Ferrero does team up with Sinner. They joked that Ferrero might have acted even more confident when announcing his comeback if he had those plans.
Ferrero spoke to Movistar and said he’s feeling calm this year, enjoying time with family, and getting ready for what’s next.
Sources close to Ferrero told AS he definitely wants to return to coaching and is talking with several ATP players. Though nothing is final yet, Sinner hasn’t been ruled out despite the buzz.
Right now, Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill is expected to leave his team before 2027. Cahill had agreed to stay for at least one more season earlier this year.
Ferrero’s split with Alcaraz back in late 2025 wasn’t the easiest. After they parted ways, Alcaraz went on to win the 2026 Australian Open and complete a Career Slam. Rumors said their split was messy, but Ferrero told Clay that their last conversation was respectful.
Ferrero was surprised not to see himself mentioned in Alcaraz’s social media reflections for 2025, even though he helped him win two Majors that year. He said: “I guess they were already looking ahead and didn’t want to connect me to that anymore.”
He explained that their breakup was because they couldn’t agree on contract terms—they saw things differently, so no deal was made to continue working together.
Ferrero has also had four coaching offers recently, with players ranked in the top 20 in both men’s and women’s tours. When asked why he didn’t take any, he said it’s hard to find the same excitement he had coaching a multi-Slam winner like Alcaraz.
If Ferrero ends up coaching Sinner, who won Wimbledon again in 2026, that excitement will likely come back quickly.
On seeing Alcaraz again on tour, Ferrero said it will be a tough moment. “It would be easier if I returned coaching another player. Then, I could see him as a rival, not as someone I worked with,” he shared.
All eyes will be on Ferrero’s return and whether he’ll be helping Sinner try to keep challenging Alcaraz at the top of the game.