INTERVIEW
Juan Carlos Ferrero Seventh player of the World
"I am of Madrid but support Valencia"
The tennis player of Ontinyent will travel to the United States to participate in the Masters Series of Toronto and Cincinnati, which will be the chance for him "to verify the forces facing the U.S. Open"
Juan Carlos Ferrero reached the #1 ranking in 2003. Later, chickenpox and an injury have dropped him to the seventh position. After five months of calvario, he starts in the next few days to the United States where he hopes for a definitive recovery. His objective is to consolidate the number one position. This past Tuesday, in his Academy of Tennis in Villena and
three days before leaving for the United States, we talked to him about his thoughts on his past, present and future.
- You'll travel to the United States to recover the lost time?
- I do not have the lost sensation of having the time. It has been inconvenient that I have suffered during the first five months of the season and the injuries have prevented me from achieving what I wanted.
- In ten months there is lost protagonism. For which reason?
- I am having quite a complicated year due to the injuries and mainly due to the chickenpox that surprised me and left almost knockout. Consequently, I lost my form and I have had problems to recover my optimal state.
- At what stage is your recovery?
- I am training very strong and with the intention to recover the #1 spot in the world-wide ranking. At the moment the injuries have gone away and, if everything passes normally, that moment will arrive, I am sure of it.
- You've lost your confidence?
- It is very hard to go from tournament to tournament and to be out in the first rounds. You have doubts, but as you know this happens and you try to move on and to follow in the preparation. This is what I have done during the last months.
- Have you recovered your confidence?
- I feel far better but I need three or four wins, in a level match, to recover it in its totality. It is time question returning to be the one that I was only months ago.
- Who transmitted chickenpox to you?
- I do not know... I would like to know. If he has it now... Ja, ja, ja...
- There are conditional the first six months of the season?
- Totally. It left me for almost three months, in the past winter, out of the competition, strengthless... The mind went by a side but the forces on the other hand. Never there was a little while so delicate past. In addition, when I recovered from the chickenpox I suffered the injury in the ribs and between a thing and the other was passing the season without winning a title.
- Five months...
- Yes, if... Average season, a true calvario.
- You played the Davis Cup match in Mallorca against Holland. How important was it to your recovery?
- Good... I needed physical toning but mentally I needed the tie to help me in the mental aspect and it gave me great joy to be able to bring Spain to the semifinals.
- You regret playing?
- No! What happened happened.
- Who advised to you to play?
- It was a decision thought and meditated between all.
- Later you had problems with his ribs. What happened?
- An injury that I contribute to decrease my yield.
- There is talk that you had a moto accident?
- No! Absolutely no. It is false...
- Did you know this commentary existed?
- Some commentary has arrived to me, but I insist on the falsification all the same. It was an injury from playing.
- You like moto?
- Yes, my moto a four wheeler...
- How do you pass the day during tournaments?
- The day before a match I train for an hour. I dedicate most of the time to rest, I have a massage and streching... I try to be calm and focused.
- And when there is no tournament?
- I am in Villena, in the academy. I wake up at 9:15 and train from 10 - 2pm, and in the evening I have another session of training and after that I have supper and I go to bed. I try to be calm.
- Your girlfirend Patricia accompanies you, in what ways does this help?
- She accompanies me to some matches but not all. And on the psychological level the fact that she is there helps me much, is important, a strongpoint without a doubt.
- She gives you advice?
- We talk about some aspects of the game, the incidences of a the match. It is logical that it happens.
- Is there a wedding in the horizon?
- No. Still no.
- When that moment comes, will it be a wedding for the public or just your friends?
- We will see what we do. Since I am a well-known person, I would like that for there to be my friends from my youth as well as some people who for diverse reasons are with me.
- How do you handle your popularity?
- It depends. There are moments where I take the fact that well it is recognized by the street and in other I resist because perhaps I need to be alone, I want to be alone and the circumstances force to me to have to take care of people.
- Do you think you're amiable with people?
- I believe yes. I always try to be educated. What happens sometimes is you are not in a good mood.
- What do you dislike about popularity?
- No, dislike nothing. But there are moments at which I do not feel comfortable.
- Is it an advantage to be popular?
- I don't know what to say, but in some moments it helps.
- Which is the person who has helped you in your life?
- My family in main source, my father is very special and my coach Antonio. In fact there are several people.
- Of the lessons taught by your parents, which would you like to pass on to your children?
- Respect to others and mainly to find out which activities they enjoy and give them the chance to do it.
- You suffer or do you enjoy tennis?
- I enjoy. There is no doubt, even in this season.
- Some person has harmed to him?
- No...
- Remembers some trip that it has had to surpass?
- No...
- You have harmed somebody?
- I do not become aware of it.
- If not a tennis player, which would be your career choice?
- It's complicated to be able to know. I like cars very much, and when I was younger I had dreams of being a soccer player. I imagine that if I had not dedicated myself to tennis I would have been a soccer player.
- Since you mention the world of soccer. What are your feeling towards Real Madrid, satisfactions or misfortunes?
- I like soccer, but I am not a fan...
- But your team is Real Madrid.
- Yes, from when I was small.
- In Valencia it is not assimilated very well that it is of Real Madrid...
- Yes, I know it. I am not to the margin of the commentaries that become. In some occasion I have tried to explain that my inclination by Madrid is not against the Valencia, because I am Valencian, I feel proud of it and support to the Valencia.
- Why are you of Madrid?
- My father is of Madrid and I am also. That simple.
- Suffers much in a Madrid-Valencia?
- Sometimes I am very far from Spain.
- Valencia is coming about their best years...
- Without a doubt. They've had an excellent seasons. I congratulate themon their titles. They have a great team.
- What do you dislike of society?
- The violence and the lack of respect. I do not like the aggressiveness of the people nor either to whom they lose the good ways with as much facility.
- What would you change?
- If it were in my hands, I would like a more respectful society.
- What is something y ou'd like to do that you haven't before?
- To enjoy more vacations. In a year I can only take ten days and even then I can't fully relax.
- Do you dedicate time to reading, television or Play Station?
- All three things. I like reading more and more and Play Station. In the tournaments, between matches, I have enough free time and sometimes I watch TV, mainly the sport programs.
- What type of reading do you prefer?
- I choose subjects related to adventures. In the last weeks I have been interested in three books of the present time: 'The Da Vinci Code, 'The Eight and 'The Pillars of the Earth'...
- Who is the best player of the world?
- At the moment Roger Federer, from match to match he is proving it with good results. He is a very complete player, with a variety of shots, good reflections and dedication.
- What is it that you do not have?
- So far, luck. I have not had it this season and he has. He has not been injured and that is important. I have beaten him several times, like he has beaten me.
- What aspects of the game need to improve?
- I consider myself quite a complete player. Perhaps I need more regularity in the runways. The last season, however, was to me enough good in all the surfaces.
- Ilie Nastase has declared that you are a great player but it needs more victories to be considered a number one. You agree?
- When one season begins my objective is to go to by a great one. The last year I won Roland Garros and I played the final of the U.S. Open, that is to say, I was in the final of two great tournaments... What happens is that it's very complicated to win, there is a lot of competition and the exigencies are absolute.
- What ar your dreams?
- It is not a dream, but an objective: to win the best matches of the world and to be a consolidated, noncircumstantial number one.
- What parts have you been working on lately?
- The two things that I believe that are fundamental: the physical and the mental one. It is necessary to be well prepared maintain the competitive level and in addition mental force is due to have to maintain a balance during so many months of much training and competition.
- Present tennis is basically power. Think that it leads to boredom?
- I don't know what to say to that... This question depends on who is playing and normally in the great matches the launching slips are filled... I do not believe that they become bored. Perhaps in the only match where the power can lead to boredom is in Wimbledon.
- Which is the most lúcido player of the international circuit?
- The Australian Lleyton Hewit. He is a player with much nerve, much intelligence.
- Are you interested in politics?
- Not one hundred percent.
- Have you felt used by the politicians in some occasion?
- No...
>> original interview in Spanish
OMG! What an amazing interview!! So many things I didn't know about JC... Glad to hear that he's still enjoying tennis despite the injuries and that his goals are still high. Sorry about the poor translation. I tried but some parts are still a bit choppy...
Best of luck to JC in the upcoming hardcourt season! ^^
UPDATE The Chinese team Hubei Sponsored by Dong Feng Car trains these days in the Academy of Juan Carlos Ferrero. In the Equelite Academy the Chinese team Hubei, comprised of the best players from their country, have been training for the past two weeks. The level of the Chinese team is very high and yesterday they had the chance to be next to their idol, Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Juan Carlos Ferrero suffered a surprise first-round defeat to Austria's Stefan Koubek at the Swiss Open on Tuesday.
The Spanish tennis players Juan Carlos Ferrero and Rafael Nadal will face the Dutchman Martin Verkerk and the Frenchman Fabrice Santoro, respectively, in two of the exhibition matches of the Trofeo Islas Baleares that will be held next Saturday in the beach of the Majorcan locality of Santa Ponsa.
Many kids are this week in Equelite-Juan Carlos Ferrero Tennis Academy enjoing the summer. Former Nº1 in the world Juan Carlos Ferrero was today taking photos and talking with all the kids. They could watch how Juan Carlos is preparing for the American hard court season. It was a great moment for them. Thank you Juan Carlos.
