Mum’s the word on a potential pairing between Jodar and Juan Carlos Ferrero, but it’s not out of the question.
Chris OddoOctober 10, 20263 minute read
Rafael Jodar has been one of the breakout stars of 2026, and with his first full season on tour nearing its conclusion, the 20-year-old Spaniard is already contemplating how to manage the demands of life at the top of the sport.
One thing he’s not quite ready to discuss? The possibility of joining forces with Juan Carlos Ferrero.
The former World No. 1 and longtime coach of Carlos Alcaraz has spoken highly of Jodar in recent interviews, even expressing interest in potentially working with the rising Spaniard. If that happens it would be one of the biggest coach-player pairings of 2027, right up there with the newly formed Auger-Aliassime-Ljubicic pairing.
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Asked about the possibility after his second-round victory in Shanghai on Saturday, Jodar politely avoided the question, neither confirming nor denying that discussions have taken place.
“Right now I’m going to focus on my next match, which is a very tough match,” Jodar said. “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.”
It’s an intriguing subplot for a player whose rapid rise has caught the collective eye of the tennis world this season. Ferrero has said that he has plans to return to coaching next season, but in recent interviews he has said that no plans are finalized. While doing so he has expressed praise for Jodar’s game, and mentioned that he’s open to the possibility of coaching the young phenom.
At the same time it should be noted that Jodar has done extremely well with his father Rafael at the helm, and he’s been praised for keeping his team lightweight and geared towards his future, without too many distractions. If Ferrero stepped in, Rafael would certainly have to cede some control. None of it should be anything new for Ferrero, who worked well with Alcaraz’s family as he guided the megastar to his first six Slam titles.
Ranked No. 165 when he arrived at a Challenger event in Canberra in January, Jodar has rocketed up the rankings and is now closing in on a Top 10 finish.
A Lighter Schedule in 2027?
The 20-year-old has made his debut at all four Grand Slams, reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, and has also made a Masters 1000 semifinal in Madrid and Rome.
On Saturday, the No. 12 seed rallied past Argentina’s Augustin Tirante 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in his Shanghai debut to set up a third-round clash with Jiri Lehecka.
After 55 matches in his first full season, Jodar admits that fatigue is becoming a factor. But he’s also beginning to understand that the luxury of choosing his tournaments will be an important part of his evolution.
“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 analyze what I have to play next year and next season, and how I should approach the calendar and the schedule for me.”
For Jodar, 2026 has been about discovery. Next year could be about discretion.
“The first season, I cannot, you know, like drop a tournament. It’s new for me, so I just have to discover them,” he explained. “The second season, I can select what tournaments I should play.”
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