Rafael Jodar sidestepped a question about a potential coaching partnership with Juan Carlos Ferrero, the former world No. 1 who spent seven years coaching Carlos Alcaraz. Ferrero left Alcaraz's team at the end of the 2025 season and has not yet taken on another player. Earlier this week, the 46-year-old refused to rule out working with Jodar, who has climbed from outside the top 160 to inside the top 15 this season.
Ferrero's comments fuel speculation
Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion, told El Larguero that he was “not closing the door” to a partnership with the current world No. 13. He added: “He has tremendous potential, he has a lot of drive, he’s young, he wants to take on the world and if the offer comes, I’ll consider it.”
Jodar, whose only coach is his father, Rafael Jodar Senior, has said he plans to build a bigger team for the 2027 season. Ferrero had already hinted at returning to the tour as a coach next year.
Jodar focuses on the present
After winning his Shanghai Masters debut, Jodar was asked about working with Ferrero, but he dodged the question. He said he would reflect on his first season on tour when deciding his 2027 schedule. Asked whether he was in talks with Ferrero, the 20-year-old replied: “Right now, I'm going to focus on my next match, which is a very tough match. After this, I have two more tournaments, three in case I get selected for the Davis Cup for Spain, which will be a tournament that I am very motivated about. Then there's about a month to think about the next season and to get ready for the next season.”
Jodar has enjoyed a strong first season on the ATP circuit, winning his first title in Marrakech, reaching a maiden Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland Garros, and making one semi-final and two quarter-finals at Masters 1000 level. Seeded 12th on his Shanghai Masters debut, he came from behind to beat Thiago Agustin Tirante 4-6 6-2 6-3.
Looking ahead to 2027
Jodar acknowledged he has played a lot this year but knows he will need to scale back in 2027. “I’m trying to getting there. I know I played a lot this year, but that's a good reason, because I've done well in most of the tournaments, so I'm happy about that,” he said. “It's the first season, so it's still a lot of things to improve and to learn this first season. When I finish the first season, I will be able to kind of analyse what I have to play next year and next season, and how I should approach the calendar and the schedule for me. But, yeah, the first season, I cannot, like, drop a tournament. It's new for me, so I just have to discover them. The second season, I can select what tournaments I should play.”
