Juan Carlos Ferrero is joining Ben Shelton's team for 2027, working alongside Ben's dad and coach, Bryan. Anastasia and Lucy hit record minutes after the news broke for Ground Pass's first emergency pod. They go through the Times scoop, why nobody had Ben on the list, and Lucy's February take on parent-coaches stepping back. Anastasia brings in her interview with Bryan Shelton and what "a different voice" could mean for Ben's game, from the serve to the rest of his tennis. Then it's the bigger picture: the case for mic'ing up tennis coaches, the 2027 coaching carousel, why Ben should spend his offseason in Spain, and why Ferrero didn't go to Jannik Sinner or Rafael Jódar. They close with Finals Sunday: Harriet Dart in Guangzhou, Diana Shnaider in Tokyo, Carlos Alcaraz in Vienna and Valentin Vacherot in Basel. Ferrero news first reported by Tom Kershaw for The Times.
Chapters
00:00 Emergency Pod Activation: Breaking News in Tennis Coaching
01:37 Juan Carlos Ferrero joins Team Ben Shelton
04:32 Tennis Dads need to step aside
10:31 Ben Shelton's Development: The Need for a New Voice
14:37 Let the coaches speak
19:04 Building excitement for the 2027 season
22:20 What will Ben Shelton's Off Season look like?
28:21 The Drama of Coaching Changes
31:52 Reflections on Recent Matches and Performances
32:52 WTA Draw coming on Tuesday
34:55 The Brits are bring it home
37:26 Leylah Fernandez and Diana Schnaider have a great Tokyo Final
40:09 Alex De Minaur's breakthrough and Carlos Alcaraz's win
43:00 Valentin Vacherot is the real deal
46:57 Outro
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About Us: Ground Pass is a tennis podcast for the rest of us. Hosted by Anastasia Folorunso and Nick Carter, it breaks down the pro tour for casual fans and anyone new to the sport, no jargon, no gatekeeping. From Grand Slam drama to the players you should know, we make tennis easy to follow and fun to obsess over.
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