With the Big Three of world tennis extinguishing its days in the hands of Novak Djokovic, the new generations have in Carlos Alcaraz y Jannik Sinner its main entertainment; a rivalry that could reach legendary status.
With the calendar on pause for Christmas, the tennis world has been shocked to see the breakup between Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrerothe coach with whom he began his successful career, starring in some of the earliest achievements in the history of this sport.
The younger ones may not remember the prime (as they often say now) of Juan Carlos Ferrero, but the Valencian tennis player was one of the most feared rackets on the circuit. A talent in a way earlywho in the early 2000s, when he was very similar in age to Carlos Alcaraz, reached his highest level on the track.
own Andre Agassi He acknowledged it in his autobiography, titled Open. This is how he describes his confrontation at the 2003 US Open: «I have to play the semifinal the next day, against Ferrero, who has just won the Roland Garros. He has so much confidence in himself that it comes out of the pores. He’s a hundred years younger than me, and it shows. “He knocks me out in four sets,” he writes.
Andre Agassi congratulates Ferrero after being defeated by the Spaniard at the 2003 US Open
Ferrero beat Agassi but lost the final against the American Andy Roddickhis sporting nemesis in those days. Despite the defeat, Ferrero climbed to the number 1 in the ATP ranking the next day thanks to the points obtained in that tournament. He was in his female version: current Roland Garros champion, finalist in the United States and Spanish tennis player of the moment along with Carlos Moyaanother regular in the top-10.
Nobody suspected that just a few months later Ferrero would experience the bitterest side of the sport, when everything went unforeseen.
A bitter Davis
The month of December 2004. After a brilliant year in 2003, during 2004 Ferrero could not maintain his level and went down the ranks in the ATP ranking, which for that reason is unforgiving: if you don’t defend the points, you fall. And in that context came the 2004 Davis Cup.
In the days before the final against the United States on the clay of Seville, the surprise came: Juan Carlos Ferrerothe only survivor of our first Davis Cup (2000), was relegated from number 2 on the team. Number 1 would be Carlos Moyà, who was among the best in the world, and number 2 became Rafa Nadalwho was barely 18 years old and, at that time, was not even among the 50 best rackets on the circuit. The news soured the atmosphere, but there was a medical apology: “Juan Carlos [Ferrero] He is a great player and has a lot of experience, but in recent days he has not been able to train fully because of the bottle that he has in one hand and we thought it was better to reserve it,” explained the captain, Jordi Arrese.
The result is known: Carlos Moyà won the first game of the series against Mardy Fishthe young Nadal beat Andy Roddick in four sets, the Ferrero-Robredo doubles was swept by the Bryan brothers and finally Moyà secured the victory, beating Roddick, the number one on the American team.
The Spanish Davis Cup team, during the presentation of the final
Juan Carlos Ferrero and a young Rafa Nadal, 18 years old
The Spanish team celebrates the victory, with captain Jordi Arrese in the center
The journalist tells Javier Martínez in his book Rafael Nadal. Portrait of a myth that in the previous days Ferrero did not accept being relegated, ensuring that «I beat Roddick with or without blisters». Spain won, a great tribute was given in Seville, but photos of the celebration show a displeased Ferrero. The B side of the sport took on the Valencian just a year after hitting the ceiling of his sport… and the ATP ranking.
