Feliciano Lopez: 'Ferrer is one of the most important Spanish players ever'
After 20 years on the Tour, the 36-year-old David Ferrer has decided to end his career this season, playing a few tournaments before the final countdown at Madrid Masters in front of the family and friends. A former world no. 3 has participated in more than 1000 ATP matches, reaching 52 ATP finals and lifting 27 titles, including the Paris Masters seven years ago. David has been struggling to find form in the last couple of years, dropping out from the top-100 for the first time in 16 years last August and preparing his retirement in the first half of 2019 after playing in some of his favorite events before Madrid.
Feliciano Lopez, tournament director of the Mutua Madrid Open had some great words for David, recognizing him as one of the greatest Spanish players ever and expressing his delight about David's decision to choose Madrid as his last stop in a fantastic career. Lopez and Ferrer have known each other for more than two decades, competing for the first time together back in Doha 2002 and also at London Olympics where they just missed the medal. Madrid is probably the best possible event for David to retire, playing there right from the first edition in 2003 and skipping the home Masters only once after that.
"David is one of the most important tennis players of our country, with a career that can't be framed, but more than anything, he is an exceptional person, one of the best that I have met on the circuit," said Madrid Open director Feliciano Lopez. "I have shared many years with him and I can say that it has been a great pleasure. It is an honor for us that he is going to play the last tournament of his career at the Mutua Madrid Open. I'm sure it will be an emotional retirement for him at home event and in front of his beloved ones who have vibrated with his fighting spirit and passion. Ferrer can go and retire peacefully because he has given everything that he could have in all these years."
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2RB21Bm
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