At the Madrid Masters, the tennis world bid adieu to one of the most respected champions of this generation. David Ferrer a former world number 3 and the winner of 27 titles played his last match going down against Alexander Zverev. He leaves behind a legacy built through a formidable 19 year journey on the ATP tour.
A GLITTERING CAREER
Ferrer turned pro in 2000 and his career lasted almost 2 decades. He has 73 wins making him the 12th most successful match winner of all time. The Spaniard’s greatness can be measured by the fact that in the current generation only 3 players, i.e. Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have won more matches than him.
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Ferrer has been a Grand Slam finalist at Roland Garros in 2013, where he lost to Rafa Nadal. He has also been a twice semifinalist at both US Open and Australian Open. He has also enjoyed a career best ranking of world number 3 in 2013.
David Ferrer is a Masters 1000 champion which he won in 2012 at Paris Bercy. In addition to that, Ferrer also helped Spain to win 3 Davis Cups.
A GRITTY COMPETITOR
‘’David never won a Grand Slam, maybe because of bad luck and because he had to play in the same era as 3 players who won all the titles. There are players who won a Major despite being worse players than him’’. This is what Ferrer’s long time rival and compatriot Rafael Nadal said about the gutsy Spaniard after defeating him at the US Open in 2018.
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Another fellow great Roger Federer also holds David Ferrer with high esteem. ‘’ I am a big fan of his work ethic, discipline and determination. He is a great role model for the young players to follow’’, said Federer while bidding goodbye to Ferrer.
Yet it is not just the numbers and stats that sum up David Ferrer’s legacy. He showed the world that even physical limits can never come in the way of dogged determination. In a sport where height is an asset, Ferrer with just 5 feet 9 inches chased every ball and hit every shot with hunger and resolve.
Much of Spanish tennis in the last decade may have been about Rafael Nadal but Ferrer has also written scripts in his own way. He stands tall when qualities like fair play, respect in the game and public conduct are concerned.
In the end all the tennis world stands up to salute champion saying, “Gracias Ferru”
