Ben Shelton's decision to add former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero to his coaching team has drawn skepticism from Serena Williams' ex-coach, who suggests the move may not significantly impact the American's trajectory.
The 22-year-old Shelton, who reached the US Open semifinals in 2023, announced the partnership with Ferrero earlier this week. The Spaniard, a 2003 French Open champion, has coached Carlos Alcaraz since 2019 and guided him to multiple Grand Slam titles.
Williams' former coach, speaking on condition of anonymity in a Yahoo Sports report published Monday, said the hiring "does not move the needle" for Shelton's development. The commentator questioned whether Ferrero's attention would be divided given his ongoing commitment to Alcaraz.
Shelton has been coached by his father, Bryan Shelton, since turning professional. The addition of Ferrero marks the first high-profile outside coach for the Atlanta native, who finished 2024 ranked inside the top 20.
Ferrero's camp has not publicly commented on the arrangement's structure or time allocation between his two players.
