Juan Carlos Ferrero retires from professional tennis – Tennis News
Former world number one, Juan Carlos Ferrer from Spin, put an end to his professional career after bowing out to his close friend, Nicolas Almagro, in straight sets at the Valencia Open 2012, an ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 500 Series
event held in Valencia, Spain.
The 2003 Roland Garros titlist, Carlos Ferrero ended his 14-year tennis career with a first round exit at the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències. He bowed out to his sixth seeded compatriot, Nicolas Almagro, in brutal straight sets in 101 minutes.
"This is a very special week, a very emotional week. Today on court it was very emotional, but it’s been very emotional since the tournament started,” Carlos Ferrero reflected about his emotional final match.
The Spanish icon thinks that he was no longer competitive on court and could not keep up with the current level. He explained his retirement decision:
"I’ve always been a very competitive person and a winner, and I felt like I didn’t have it within me anymore. It takes a lot to keep up with what the level is."
The Spanish legend was an inspiration to his compatriots including Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer. The world number five, Ferrer, stated in an interview to the ATPWorldTour.com:
"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 and opened the way for many more players to follow.”
Carlos Ferrero achieved great success throughout his tenure. He reached the top rank at the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings in September 2003 and grabbed 16 career titles including the French Open, second of the four Grand Slam events held
in Paris, France.
The 32-year-old recorded great success on dirt and is tied at number 21 in Open Era list for most win on clay courts.
Currently, the Spanish veteran has teamed up with his compatriot Ferrer in the doubles event at this indoor hard court event. They will face off the Argentinean-Ukrainian pair, Carlos Berlocq and Alexandr Dolgopolov, in the opening round.
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