Federer, Djokovic, Nadal are unique and special - Ferrer
In an interview, David Ferrer commented on the veteran players' dominance. The Spaniard, who will end his career in Madrid next month, said: "Players like Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Roger Federer are unique because at 19 and 20 years old that no one ever had, not even at 35. They are special players. Then you have players who go maturing, like in my case. At 25 I ended on the top 10, fifth in the world, but at 30 I achieved my mental and physical peak."
Looking back, would he have been a professional player or another thing? "This question is difficult... I worked so much to be what I am and to achieve what I did, so I am happy with what I did. I would not do everything in the same way but mistakes made me learn. If I came back living I would probably choose another thing. But I also tell you a thing: tennis gave me a lot."
Ferrer sometimes gets criticized for not looking like a talented player, but he said: "Being world No. 3 only feeling strong physically, is Impossible... It's a lot of things. I am proud of my career and what people think as well. They describe you as a person who overcomes himself, who fights and who is a warrior, which is very good. They are very good adjectives. I am happy with what I do, with my career and with the support I got from people. Obviously, there are people who liked it more and who liked it less, but I accept it and I do not get bothered from it."
On how different tennis is than other sports, Ferrer added: "In single sports, you may be more selfish. It depends on each player and the education you got. Tennis is a single sport, and for that, you have to earn the right to compete and win. Sport has a lot of values: respect, humility, appreciating yourself in the bad moments, sharing a lot of time with other players... In the end, I think in this sport you have a healthy rivalry."
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2P8Htkh
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