Juan Carlos Ferrero is a retired Spanish tennis player who was born on February 12, 1980, in Ontinyent, Spain. Ferrero always had a sporting upbringing, with Dad Eduardo being his sparring partner from the early age of seven.
He continued this passion throughout his youth, gradually progressing through the ranks. Towards the end of the 20th century, he really made a name for himself on the junior tour, reaching the final of the Roland Garros boy’s tournament.
The same year, 1998, saw him make his professional debut too, with him trying out skills amongst the best in a Futures tournament in Italy. It did not take long for his tennis prowess to make itself clear, with the Spaniard claiming his first ATP crown just a year after turning pro when he won the Mallorca Open in 1999.
As the years went by, the trophies did not stop flooding in, with Ferrero claiming multiple per year in the following three seasons. 2003 was, without doubt, his best season on tour, as he claimed his sole Grand Slam title in Paris, reached the final of the US Open, and subsequently reached his career-high ranking of world number 1.
The 2004 season started off in the same vain, with the Spaniard reaching the semifinal stage at the Australian Open, but overall, it was not what Ferrero would have wished for, with injuries plaguing his season.
These problems would have ultimately played a part in him losing valuable spots in the rankings and, therefore, confidence, and he was later not able to replicate the form that he had found after hitting the ground running on the pro circuit.
He did manage to get back to form a few years later, getting two runs to the quarterfinal stage at Wimbledon in 2007 and 2009, as well as getting his name engraved on a total of five more ATP trophies, taking his career total up to 16.
Outside of the ATP spotlight, he made a name for himself playing for his country. He represented Spain at the Davis Cup on numerous occasions, but highlights include bringing the trophy home with his teammates three times, in 2000, 2004, and 2009.
The latter of these was heading towards the end of his career, as he eventually called time on it in 2012. Despite tempting fans with a return to the circuit in 2017, he and his partner Pablo Carreno Busta could not get past the first round at the Barcelona Open, with a match game being his only since his official retirement in 2012.
Since hanging up the racquets, he has started a family with his wife, as well as entering the world of coaching. He became most known as a coach for leading Carlos Alcaraz to the world no. 1 spot.
