LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: David Ferrer of Spain with his towel in his mouth during his Men's Singles first round match against Karen Khachanov of Russia on day two of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 3, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Laver Cup 2018: What we know so far and what to expect by Keshav Gopalan

David Ferrer has had an extraordinary career. He has over 700 match wins, 27 titles, over 30 million in prize money and a slam final in the 2013 French Open.

His form has dipped considerably in the past two years, starting from his 2016 season, where he failed to win a title for the first time since 2009. Several first-round losses, tough 5 setters which he would ultimately lose and heartbreaking losses to players ranked much lower than him. His woes in 2017 continued, with brief runs of good form with a title in Sweden and a Semi-Final run at Cincinnati.

This year marks the first time Ferrer has not won a match in a grand slam. He’s failed to defend his crown at Bastad, has dropped to 60 in the rankings and is looking close to drop out the top 100 with a huge number points to defend in the Cincinnati Masters.

Past, Future plans and Retirement

In an interview with El Larguero (posted in tennisworld), David Ferer spoke of his struggles:

‘I never refused the training session, when I don’t practice it’s because I am obliged to take a rest. Without any doubt a part of me is going away, now I play without expectations. I note that this chapter of my life is coming to an end. Next year I will play some tournaments through wild card, the ones I like, and we will see when and when I will retire. I would like to retire at home, at Godò (Barcelona) or Madrid. It’s a journey. I want to live this year’s US Open like if it was my last Grand Slam.

I don’t like to see myself being world no. 60. Before, when I was losing, it was worse. I came to win in Buenos Aires and Acapulco, and reaching second round in Indian Wells was a National drama. My wife was in Acapulco, I had lost to (Rafael) Nadal in the final and for a day I didn’t speak with her because I was angry that I had lost,’ he said referring to 2013, when Nadal beat him 6-0, 6-2.

Analysis

While it may come as a shock to some, for a large number of tennis fans this isn’t unprecedented nor is it unexpected. The Spaniard is 36 years old, has achieved a great deal in an era of tennis where the big 4 have had a grapple hook on almost every achievement. Few people will ever achieve what this man has, and there is not much that Ferrer will look back on with a sense of guilt.

He’s also a father now. His struggles on the court have been considerable, both in measure and in duration. Wanting to retire in his home country on a surface he feels familiar at is a fitting goodbye for a man who was always just one step behind (traditionally because of the big four) in achieving what everyone sets out to: A grand slam.

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We salute David Ferrer and his tenacity, vigour and passion. May we have the joy of witnessing another player as dogged, agile and hardworking as him