Jannik Sinner and Juan Carlos Ferrero: A flat-out “no”

In recent days, Juan Carlos Ferrero announced his return to the tour but did not reveal which player he would be partnering with. Many people, especially in Spain, have speculated about a sensational pairing with Jannik Sinner, but according to Stefano Pescosolido, that won’t happen: “I think it’s just speculation,” he told Sky Sport. “Personally, I’d go with Rafael Jódar. And maybe a challenge could be Holger Rune if he starts playing again. He’s been out for practically a year. In any case, it’ll be interesting to see him back, and the player he coaches could benefit from it.”

The former world No. 42 then went on to talk about Jannik Sinner: “I think he’s being a little more careful physically. He wants to avoid setbacks. The Grand Slams are the main goal, and I imagine that next year he’ll want to be in peak condition to try to win as much as possible. Where will we see him again? There are two options: Beijing and Shanghai, or starting with the indoor tournaments.”

“Last year’s Chinese 1000 tournament also had challenging conditions, and he withdrew due to cramps. He might skip the Asian leg and return via Vienna to be ready for the ATP Finals, so he can better plan for the following year,” said Pescosolido.

World-renowned coach Rick Macci, former coach of Serena Williams, also weighed in on the possibility of seeing the South Tyrolean player coached by Ferrero: “If Ferrero ended up coaching or assisting Sinner, I really don’t think it would be a threat to Alcaraz. In fact, it would be the opposite,” he wrote on X.

According to Macci, Alcaraz would actually be the clear favorite: “Carlos would be even more motivated to beat him. I truly believe that would help Carlos more than anything else if they were to face each other. Alcaraz would have the mental edge, and he’d try everything to beat them both. Adversity makes greatness even stronger. And greatness always finds an extra gear.”