Former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, who is currently coaching rising star Alexander Zverev at his sports academy, Equelite, has said that the German will challenge the ‘Big 4’ next year.
Ferrero, a French Open champion in 2003 is working with the 20-year-old Zverev and his countryman Pablo Carreno Busta at his academy and has predicted big things for the two men in 2018.
In an interview to IB Times, Ferrero said: “Zverev is very competitive and results have arrived sooner than expected. He is a top world player so far and during the last part of the season he focused on the mental side in order to cope with pressure. He is number four in the ATP rankings and they now begin to see him as a potential number one. Because he is able to make it. We are working a lot on that side of him, so far Zverev has not had to face this aspect of the game.”
“As for Pablo, he is playing superb tennis and during his last season, bravery made a difference. He has set higher goals and he has proven to himself that he can compete against the best players in the world. If he keeps on with the hard job, he will give us very big moments the next season.”
“Though it is true that they have a tough year in front of them because there are big expectations surrounding them, I think it is going to get really competitive among the big four and the young players in the top 10 who want to settle down in the top of the rankings.”
Ferrero had the opportunity of becoming Spain’s Davis Cup captain, but decided against it as he wanted to help young guns like Sascha Zverev and Carreno Busta: “I have been working with young players for a long time in my academy, JC Ferrero Equelite. I have tried to support Spanish tennis. To become Davis Cup captain for Spain is a dream, but when they offered me the position I was committed to Sascha Zverev. We are working really hard and I wish we can do it for a long time. Obviously, it would be a dream to become Davis Cup captain in the future.”
