Juan Carlos Ferrero reflected on a "very emotional week" following his first-round loss to close friend and countryman Nicolas Almagro on Tuesday at the Valencia Open 500. Defeat marked the end of the 32 year old’s 14-year career on the ATP World Tour. Ferrero cried as he received a standing ovation on court at the Agora Building.
"This is a very special week, a very emotional week," said Ferrero. "Today on court it was very emotional, but it’s been very emotional since the tournament started.
"There were two sides of the coin to playing against Nico," continued the Villena native, who had trained hard in the lead up to Valencia and was hoping to win one or two matches before bowing out.
"When I first saw the draw, I was really not happy because he was one of the few players I didn’t want to play. We’re best friends, we practise together, and Nico is also trying to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. I was really not happy, but then, the nice side of it is that I played my last match against a very important person for me, a great friend."
View Ferrero Retirement Tribute
He may be hanging up his racquet, but Ferrero still intends to stay involved in the tennis world. As well as running his academy, the Juan Carlos Ferrero – Equelite in Villena, the Spaniard revealed he may take up a coaching role with Almagro next season.
"There’s a good chance that I will be travelling with Nico to a few tournaments next year, maybe as a coach. It was nice to play my last match against him," said Ferrero, who was joined in his press conference by Almagro.
"I’ve always been a very competitive person and a winner, and I felt like I didn’t have it within me anymore," explained the 2003 Roland Garros champion, who reached No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings in September 2003. "It takes a lot to keep up with what the level is. I could probably still be around for some time, but because I’ve always been a perfectionist, I want to stop now."
Ferrero is set to compete in the doubles with David Ferrer on Wednesday afternoon. The pair faces Carlos Berlocq and Alexandr Dolgopolov. Later in the day, there will be an official send-off for Ferrero, featuring the likes of Rafael Nadal, Alex Corretja, Carlos Moya, Albert Costa and golfer Sergio Garcia.
