Living in the Nadal Era, many tend to forget the power of the Spanish tennis even before the ultimate clay-court king became the worldwide superstar he is now. The likes of Bruguera, Moya, Corretja or Albest Costa are lost within the tunnel of time as Nadal's fame has grown to outlived all his precursors. However, before Nadal, there was another great Spanish champion, a former clay-court king and one of the most important contributors to the rise of the modern Spanish tennis powerhouse.
A worthy successor of Carlos Moya and Alex Corretja, Juan Carlos Ferrero established himself early as a clay-court prodigy by reaching the semis at the French Open on his 2000 debut. Having beaten the likes of Mariano Puerta, Mark Philippoussis and Alex Corretja, Juan ended up losing a marathon match against eventual champion, Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten. His breakthrough year was 2001 when he capped a magnificent clay-court season with titles in Estoril, Barcelona, and Rome, his first Masters 1000 crown. He also reached his second consecutive semifinal at Roland Garros, succumbing once again to Kuerten.
The French Open became his favourite tournament. He got to love the Parisian courts dearly, as it was here where he shone the brightest. In 2002, after a sensational campaign with wins over Guillermo Coria, Gaston Gaudio, Andre Agassi and Marat Safin, he reached the final. Probably the nerves of disputing his first Grand Slam final got the best of him as he unable to bring his best game into the match, granting the victory to his more experienced compatriot, Albert Costa. Paris did not see the end of him though, as the Spaniard was back to seal the deal a year later. In 2003 he was not to be denied. He avenged his loss to Costa in the semis, before blowing surprise package, Dutchman Martin Verkerk, off the court to claim his maiden Grand Slam title. It was a moment of ultimate glory for Ferrero who, after losing the US Open final to Andy Roddick, went on to become the 21st player to hold the World No. 1 ranking. He was also the second Spaniard to achieve the feat after Carlos Moya.
Despite making the semis in Melbourne, 2004 marked the beginning of the end for Juan Carlos. Injuries and a severe lack of form took their toll and, by the end of the year, the Spaniard was ranked outside the top 30. Some miserable seasons followed and it wasn't until 2009 that he managed to win another ATP crown. It happened at a small venue, in Casablanca, where he defeated Frenchman Florent Serra for the title.
2010 saw a rejuvenation from the once king of clay. A vintage display during the Latin American swing enabled him to win back-to-back titles in Buenos Aires and Costa do Sauipe, to which he added a final in Acapulco. The last trophy of his career came in 2011 in Stuttgart, when he overcame his compatriot Pablo Andujar to collect his 15th crown.
Ferrero was also a solid rock for his country in all official team competitions. He played in 17 Davis Cup ties, compiling a 18-6 record in singles rubbers and helped Spain to its first triumph in the competition in 2000, as well as to subsequent victories in 2004 and 2009.
The Spaniard announced his retirement on September 12 and chose to end his magnificent career in Valencia. "It’s the best possible stage for me to retire,” he said. “Because of injuries, I was not able to play a full season and it’s been a complicated year as I could see I didn’t have the same ambition after 14 years on the tour.” Although he lost his first round clash with good friend Nicolas Almagro, Juan Carlos remained upbeat about his performance. “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.”
Still mourning the retirement of Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick, tennis losses another one of its legends. The Spaniard does not intent to stay away from the game though. He will continue his work with his foundation, "La Fundación de la Comunidad Valenciana Juan Carlos Ferrero", which promotes sports for youth in and around Valencia and he hopes to one day lead his country to another Davis Cup triumph.
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| Although the favourite, Juan Carlos lost his first Grand Slam final, at the 2002 French Open. He was defeated 1-6,0-6,6-4,3-6 by his compatriot, Albert Costa. |
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| Having failed on his previous attempt, Ferrero made it second time lucky, overcoming Dutch surprise Martin Verkerk 6-1,6-3,6-2 to conquer his sole Grand Slam at Roland Garros in 2003. |
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| 2003 was a sensational year for the Spaniard. In addition to winning in Paris he also got to the finals in New York. It wasn't to be though, as he lost the Flushing Meadows final to American Andy Roddick. |
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| A solid rock in Spain's Davis Cup squad, Ferrero lead his country to its first success in 2000 and subsequent victories in 2004 and 2009. |
photos (top-down): GETTY IMAGES, Reuters, GETTY IMAGES (x5)
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