Former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero has warned reigning 19-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer and 10-time French Open winner and his countryman Rafael Nadal that the young brigade will put up a strong challenge to their dominance in 2018.
Ferrero, who won his only Major title at Roland Garros in 2003, believes the rising stars of the men’s will give a tough time to both Roger and Rafa because they would want to cement their position in the top 10 of the world rankings.
Speaking to IB Times, Ferrero said: “You cannot be surprised with Rafa. He is one of the greatest in tennis history and his fighting capability is simply unbelievable. This year he has been playing more aggressively, his tennis is more straight forward, he is adapting his game style and he has been able to enjoy himself again on the court. A tennis player of his level is constantly trying to adapt and improve. As for his uncle [Toni Nadal], even though he is not going to travel with him, he will remain a big foundation for Rafa. I don’t think this will make a difference. Let’s not forget that Carlos Moya, one of the greatest players of his decade, has begun to work with the current Roland Garros and US Open champion and things have improved.
“We are going to see a very competitive season. As I said before, the big four will have to face the newcomers, the young players who are currently in the top 10 who want to remain there for a long time. And let’s not forget players like Stan Wawrinka or Kei Nishikori, who have been injured for some months. It is going to be a tough season for all of them.”
When it comes to Roger, Ferrero accepts that “his season was one of the best I remember from him, taking into account the number of tournaments he has taken part in. He has won almost everything he has played. He knows himself better than anyone, he knows where his limits are and he cherry-picks his calendar based on his knowledge on himself. One of the keys for last season’s success might be that Roger Federer has focused more on enjoying than on simply winning. He is no longer carrying such a burden on his shoulders.”
