Juan Carlos Ferrero’s split with Carlos Alcaraz at the end of the 2025 season was a major surprise.
Ferrero has not ruled out a return with Alcaraz, although the latter has kicked on well without him by winning his seventh Grand Slam at the Australian Open.
The tennis coach, meanwhile, is yet to return to tennis, although he has been working with golfer Ángel Ayora.
After the first four months of the ATP Tour season, it’s clear which up-and-coming tennis star Ferrero should now work with.
Juan Carlos Ferrero should coach Rafael Jodar
Rafael Jodar has been one of the stories of the season so far, but his general growth over the last year has been incredible.
The 19-year-old has risen from 700 in the rankings to his current position of world number 42 following a title victory in Morocco and a semi-final appearance at the Barcelona Open.
Ferrero would be the perfect coach for Jodar for a multitude of reasons.
Should Carlos Alcaraz hire another coach after his recent results?
If so, who should he hire? 🤔
Firstly, Ferrero and Alcaraz seemed to butt heads when it came down to the balance off and on the tennis court.
While Alcaraz is phenomenal on the court, Ferrero often became frustrated with his scheduling and his breaks between tournaments.
Jodar, meanwhile, seems far more grounded and willing to put the work in that Ferrero would naturally be attracted to.
Additionally, Jodar is currently still only working with his father so Ferrero would have the chance to mould him in the same way he did Alcaraz.
Jodar would surely jump at the chance to work with a coach as well-regarded as Ferrero and the coach would surely be able to help him make the jump to the very top of the rankings.
Rafael Jodar’s incredible 2026 season so far
While Jodar has truly started to make a name for himself at his last two tournaments in Morocco and Spain, the signs have been there all season.
The Spaniard holds a 13-7 record in 2026, which includes some very big wins over several impressive players.
What do you make of Carlos Alcaraz’s decision to part ways with Juan Carlos Ferrero?
Jodar has beaten Cameron Norrie twice, as well as Jaume Munar, Ethan Quinn, and Tomas Machac so far this season.
His power and tenacity will surely be of interest to Ferrero and, at 19 years old, he has plenty of scope for development.
If Jodar continues to climb the rankings, he will have more and more of a chance of landing a big gun like Ferrero.
