The coach who built Carlos Alcaraz into a six-time Grand Slam champion could, if the latest reports hold, spend next year trying to beat him.
Argentine journalist Gonzalo Ferreyra, picking up on comments made during the Cincinnati Open by former Grand Slam semi-finalist and ESPN analyst Jose Luis Clerc, reported in September that Ferrero is set to lead Sinner’s coaching team in 2027.
“Another source confirmed Batata’s information to me,” Ferreyra wrote. Simone Vagnozzi would be expected to remain alongside the Spaniard.
Nothing has been announced by either camp. Sinner himself has not played since winning Wimbledon in July, and confirmed earlier this month that a right-knee issue would keep him out for the rest of the 2026 season.
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A shifting answer
Ferrero’s own words have shifted sharply across the year.
In April, asked by El País, he was firm.
By June the tone was different. Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Ferrero openly entertained the idea.
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“It would be wonderful to coach him,” he said.
“Just a few months ago, I would have said no: the breakup with Carlos was recent and I wasn’t ready. But now that I feel stronger, I say: why not?”
He also praised Sinner’s temperament.
“Sinner loves to work hard and is willing to do whatever it takes to stay as number one: I like his attitude,” he added.
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In September, on Movistar+’s La Liga coverage, Ferrero confirmed he would be back on tour next year without naming the player.
“This year, I’m very relaxed. I’m enjoying my family and preparing for what’s coming next year. I think I’m going to come back on the tennis tour, but I can’t say with whom,” he said.
What it would do to Sinner’s box
Cahill joined Sinner alongside Vagnozzi in 2022. The Australian had planned to step away at the end of 2025 before being persuaded to stay another year.
“I’m here until the end of 2026, and then we’ll see,” Cahill said in September.
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“I turned around and changed my mind.”
Andre Agassi, who worked with Cahill during his own playing career, told the same outlet the arc was natural.
“Every relationship between coach and player has its end point. A really good coach, in the end, almost makes his own job superfluous,” Agassi said.
Not everyone inside Italian tennis sees Ferrero as the obvious upgrade. In a piece published on Tennis365 on Tuesday, Adriano Panatta put forward Paolo Bertolucci as his pick.
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“I would say Paolo Bertolucci, because he understands a great deal about tennis,” Panatta said, according to Tennis365, which also named Carlos Moya, Toni Nadal, Agassi and David Ferrer among the other coaches being discussed in Italy.
Alcaraz’s team has already moved on
Alcaraz split from Ferrero in December 2025, after seven years together, including the 2025 Roland Garros and US Open crowns. Samuel López, who had been part of the setup for several years, stepped up as head coach for the 2026 season.
For Ferrero, taking the Sinner job would mean guiding the current world No. 1 against his former pupil, the two men who have shared the last several majors between them. Sinner is not expected back on court until the start of 2027. Ferrero, as of September, had still not named a player.
