Farewell to another former world number one, Juan Carlos Ferrero – Tennis News
A little ‘mosquito’ couldn’t bit his opponent Nicolas Almagro in the first round of the Valencia Open on Tuesday and that proved to be his last professional match in the singles category. Former world number one, Juan Carlos Ferrero,
has retired from world of tennis and tennis fanatics will be deprived from yet another classy athlete. Almagro knew that it will be the last game for his compatriot if he wins and expressed his emotions by stating that it was the bitterest victory of his life.
After the match, the 32-year-old Spanish superstar almost broke into tears and stated in a mixed mood, “It’s been a long time since I enjoyed myself so much on a tennis court. It was an honour to finish my career playing you; I
think you are a great champion.”
He further added, “I simply want to thank everyone for all their support, not just this year but throughout all the years I have played here. It’s always been a very special tournament for me and this year even more so.”
The top seed contestant in the Valencia Open, David Ferrer paid tribute to his compatriot in the following fashion, “Juan Carlos has been a very important player for Spanish tennis. He was World No. 1; he was the one who won the
third point when Spain first won the Davis Cup.” He further stated that the victory in that competition was the basis of something extraordinary in the making. He inspired a lot young athletes to pick up a tennis racquet and make it a profession. He also pictured
the personality of Ferrero as a ‘humble’ and ‘noble’ man.
Ferrero was in the Top-10 category for 176 consecutive weeks. He was surrounded by niggling injuries that forced him out of that elite category in September 2004. It is going to take a while for all the followers of tennis to overcome
the retirement of two superstars in just a span of two months. Earlier, another former world number one, Andy Roddick, left the professional circuit in the US Open at New York. It is definitely a hard decision but old legends have to make way for young talents
and the cycle continues.
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