Juan Carlos Ferrero may soon be back on the tennis tour as a coach, if his own recent comments are anything to go by.

“I think I’m going to come back on the tennis tour, but I can’t say with whom,” Ferrero said recently. He has not coached anyone since parting ways with Carlos Alcaraz at the end of the 2026 season.

The Spaniard, who has also worked with Alexander Zverev, is widely viewed as the most prominent coaching free agent in the game right now. Speculation around his next move has naturally centered on a few leading names.

Rafael Jodar and Jannik Sinner have both been mentioned as possible options. Jodar has been working with his father since breaking through on the ATP Tour in 2026, while Sinner is currently coached by Darren Cahill, who could retire at the end of the year.

Former American world No 1 Steve Johnson, however, sees another candidate as an especially strong match. Speaking on Nothing Major, he said: “I’m thinking maybe Felix Auger-Aliassime. Could it could be Felix? Yes, he’s trying to get over the hump. That would be a guy.

“I feel like he [Ferrero] is going to kind of get his pick at this point,” added Johnson.

“I feel like he’s earned that, you know, to jump back in with whoever he wants because if you’re one of those guys, why wouldn’t you want Ferrero on your bag? I think it’s either Jodar or Felix. I’ll take Felix.”

Auger-Aliassime recently ended his long partnership with Frederic Fontang, who had coached him for the past decade. “After nearly ten years of working together, it has recently been decided that Wimbledon would be my last tournament with Frederic by my side as my coach,” said Auger-Aliassime on social media.

“Today, I want to express my deepest respect, gratitude, and admiration for his dedication and the passion he brought every single day to helping me achieve my goals.

“Since I was 16 years old, he has guided my development and helped me experience incredible moments through this sport. He has also been by my side during the toughest moments of my career.”

With no replacement yet named, Auger-Aliassime stands out as a leading candidate if Ferrero does decide to return. The Canadian remains one of the ATP Tour’s top players and is currently ranked world No 5, leaving Ferrero with an attractive project should the partnership come together.

Novak Djokovic’s career has long been defined by relentless preparation, and even in the later stages of his run on the ATP Tour, the results still reflect that standard. At 39, and in his 24th season on the circuit, he has already reached the Australian Open final and the Wimbledon semi-final this year.

Fresh insight into how he maintains that level came from his physiotherapist, Carlos Costa, who spoke to A Bola, in comments translated by Jose Morgado. Costa, who has also worked with Ana Ivanovic, Tommy Haas, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, and Andrey Rublev, said Djokovic remains unlike anyone he has encountered.

“I have never seen anything like Novak Djokovic,” said Costa, who has also worked with the likes of Ana Ivanovic, Tommy Haas, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, and Andrey Rublev.

“His vision, what he puts in every single day on the court, and his intensity. I had seen something similar before, but never with Djokovic’s consistency.”

Costa also described a player who pays close attention to every detail around his routine and recovery. He said Djokovic notices even small disruptions and goes so far as to test those around him to make sure the team is giving him the best possible support.

“He pays attention to every detail. The amount of time it takes us to give him his towel… if there is something that is not planned, there is friction,” continued Costa.

“He even goes as far as creating tests within the team to find out whether we are really looking for the best recovery strategies and providing the best treatments.

“For example, he asked us why Sinner does eye training and we didn’t. He is constantly looking for ways to be the best in the world.”

Djokovic’s recent record against Jannik Sinner has been difficult, but he did defeat the Italian in a five-set battle in the Australian Open semifinals. That remains his only win in the last seven meetings between the pair.

Another meeting could be on the horizon, with both players entered for the China Open, which begins on September 30th.

Carlos Alcaraz will front Team Europe at the 2026 Laver Cup as the side attempts to take back the trophy, with Team World aware of how difficult the matchup has been for every member of their squad.

“We will do everything possible to bring the title back to Europe. We failed last year, so we’ll do everything we can to reclaim the trophy,” the world No 3 said after arriving in London for the ninth edition of the event.

Alcaraz is set to line up alongside world No 2 and two-time Grand Slam winner Alexander Zverev, Flavio Cobolli, Rafael Jodar, Jakub Mensik and Casper Ruud.

Team World will be represented by Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Learner Tien, Brandon Nakashima, Alexander Bublik and Francisco Cerundolo at the O2 Arena.

Last season in San Francisco, Team World won the event 15-9 for their fourth title in five years. Even so, Team Europe still hold the overall edge in the rivalry, leading 5-3.

For Alcaraz, this will be his third Laver Cup appearance, and his record in the competition remains strong. He has lost only one singles match, and across the ATP Tour he holds a commanding head-to-head advantage over all six Team World players.

In his 2024 debut, the Spaniard beat Ben Shelton and Fritz. A year later, Fritz defeated him before Alcaraz responded by beating Cerundolo to finish with a 3-1 record.

Against the six Team World players combined, Alcaraz has played 19 matches and lost only once, leaving him with an 18-1 record. That lone defeat came against Fritz at the 2025 tournament.

His head-to-heads show the same pattern. He leads Fritz 5-1, de Minaur 6-0, Cerundolo 4-0, Nakashima 2-0 and Bublik 1-0. He has not yet played Tien.

Team World may at least draw some encouragement from Alcaraz’s most recent defeat, which came against Ben Shelton at the US Open in four sets. Shelton was initially due to play in London, but withdrew after a demanding spell that included a runner-up finish at the US Open a fortnight ago and a Davis Cup tie against the Czech Republic last week.