Carlos Alcaraz beat Ben Shelton 7-6(5), 7-5 in the Rolex Paris Masters final on Sunday, sealing the first Paris title of his career and his fifth trophy of 2026. The storyline behind the match, however, sat on Shelton’s side of the net.

Juan Carlos Ferrero, who coached Alcaraz for seven years before the pair split 11 months ago, is joining Shelton’s team for the 2027 season. He was already in Paris during final week, lending a hand to the American’s camp ahead of their formal start together next month.

‘The first time in eight years’

Ferrero told Spanish daily Marca, in comments picked up by Tennis365, that he had already “switched gears” on his loyalties. He said it felt odd to spend the week thinking about weaknesses in a player he had developed since the Spaniard was 15.

“Yes, it was strange, I can’t deny it was. It was the first time in eight years that I had to think of ways to counter him. Not to counter him, but to try and counter Carlos’s game,” he said.

Read also: Thomas Tuchel makes England goalkeeper decision after James Trafford challenges Jordan Pickford

He added that he had worked with Shelton and the American’s father and coach, Bryan Shelton, on specific tactical ideas during the week in Paris, even though his contract with the new team does not officially begin until December.

Where Shelton lost the final

Ferrero’s verdict on why the final slipped away from Shelton came down to execution in the biggest moments. The American had six break-point chances in the opening set alone, according to Sky Sports, and could not convert any of them before losing the tiebreak 7-5.

Speaking to Marca, Ferrero said Shelton’s aggressive game had opened the door repeatedly, but that the American lacked decisiveness and bravery when the chances came, in the first set, and again when he led in the second. In the US Open quarter-final two months earlier, Ferrero noted, Shelton had been braver in those same situations; a final in Paris, he suggested, carried more weight.

‘I’m going to be a bit afraid of you’

Alcaraz, who used his on-court speech to acknowledge the American, had lost to Shelton in the US Open quarter-finals in September. He turned the result around in Paris and immediately looked ahead to the season-ending event in Turin.

Read also: Jose Mourinho makes unusual request to Carlo Ancelotti over Real Madrid star Endrick

“I am pretty sure next week in the Finals you are going to bounce back,” Alcaraz said on court. “I am going to be afraid a bit of you!”

Both players head to Turin for the Nitto ATP Finals, which begin on 15 November. Alcaraz, who won the Vienna Open the week before Paris, has now beaten Shelton four times in their five career meetings.

Read also: “That’s not going to happen”: Michael Carrick gives defiant response to Man Utd exit question