Juan Carlos Ferrero has changed his answer on Jannik Sinner. The former world No. 1 said in a recent interview that he would now be open to coaching the Italian, after previously saying he would not have been ready to take the job because his split with Carlos Alcaraz was still fresh.
The timing matters because Sinner is entering the grass season with a major coaching question still hanging over him. He lost in the second round of the French Open to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, skipped the Halle Open this year and is scheduled to play only at Wimbledon before the surface swings end. At the same time, Darren Cahill, who has guided Sinner through four Grand Slam titles, had originally planned to step away after the 2025 season before agreeing to stay one more year.
Ferrero made the comments in an interview with Corriere della Sera, where he was asked whether he could imagine taking over as Sinner’s coach. The 46-year-old said that a few months ago he would have said no, but now he feels stronger and asked, “why not?” He added that Sinner’s work ethic appeals to him, saying the 23-year-old “loves to work hard and is willing to do whatever it takes to stay No. 1,” and called it wonderful to coach him.
That openness marks a clear shift from a few months ago, when Ferrero said the break with Alcaraz was still too recent for him to be ready for another top-level commitment. He ended his partnership with Alcaraz ahead of the 2026 season after seven years together, a spell that took the Spaniard to six majors and the youngest world No. 1 in history. Ferrero’s standing in the game makes any possible move more than idle speculation.
He also spelled out why Sinner remains such a difficult opponent for Alcaraz. Ferrero said Alcaraz is more dynamic, has a wider range of shots and knows how to break Sinner’s rhythm, while Sinner prefers to play fast and strike the ball at the same height. In his view, the matchup is almost even, but Alcaraz is still just ahead at 55-45, with the Spaniard leading their rivalry 10-7 despite Sinner winning the last two meetings.
Whether Ferrero ever joins Sinner’s team is still unresolved. What is clear is that the opening exists now in a way it did not before, and with Cahill nearing the end of his run, Sinner’s next coaching decision could shape the next phase of his career as much as any result on grass.
