TMS MONTE CARLO

April 13, 2005

Juan Carlos Ferrero

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, I'm trying since the beginning of the year to playing well. But I suppose you know I meet with a lot of good guys in first and second rounds, like Top 10 players. Always it's difficult to play against them. Before this, you know, I always play against these guys quarterfinals, semifinals. Now in the first and second rounds are always very difficult. But anyway I'm feeling better, and I'm better in the ranking day by day. We'll see.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. You know, the confidence is very important for the player. I mean, when you are winning a lot of matches, you take a lot of confidence and you feel that you can do everything.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: For sure mentally. I'm strongest mentally than before. All that happened to me give me a lot of - I don't know - confidence in me, you know, to try again everything, to make important goals. I think I'm doing a good job.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Oh, it's difficult to compare, you know. It's really difficult. But I'm feeling better. I feel - like always - I feel like I can win anybody. So it's a good thing.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, of course I feel better. When you are winning good matches, you feel better. But anyway I feel better since the beginning of the tournament and, you know, I'm trying to do everything in the court.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, it's a good test. Of course it's a good test. He plays really good also in clay courts. Today he won an easy match. And I watch some of his matches here and he's playing very, very strong, hitting the ball very strong. But anyways I think I'm playing good tennis, and I will try my best tomorrow.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. But anyway he came with a lot of confidence, and also he played three tournaments on clay court. For me, was the first match on clay court. But anyway, the confidence, it's very important. He played really good and I played really bad. But anyway he's playing a good tennis. He's very talent guy. He has a lot of power. He play good, so... But this is disappointing for sure, to lost.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I think when I feel very good physically I can do everything because I move well, I can hit the ball good. And for sure the physically, it's almost 100% important. So right now I feel very good physically, I'm telling you, since the beginning of the year. I have no problems physically right now, and it's that I want it.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, patient. This is the word, patient, and try to be a better player, you know. Before, like before that happened last year, I always be in the Top 5 or Top 10, you know. And I always have a great winnings, never worse than the last year, you know. And, you know, start to be worse and worse. And, you know, have to start again and make new goals, different goals than before, you know, not winning Masters Series or winning Grand Slams, you have to be physically good and you have to be mentally again good. So this is the important thing.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, sometimes is frustrating, but I am a strong tennis player. I knew that later or soon I will be again a good tennis player. I have to be patient. I have to be patient.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, I want to be in the Top 15. I want to be. But I will fight. I will fight.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I have to take some time. I don't have to go in a hurry all the time. I have to go step by step, match by match. And I don't know when, but I have a lot of tournaments to get points, you know. Last year I didn't get any points, so I think I have lot of opportunities to get points if I play normal.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, after to win a Grand Slam, you think you are a better player and I was thinking this. But it start to happen, those things. Like you said, I have to start again everything physically because the chicken pox was amazing. And mentally it's very tough to start again. I mean, physically on everything it's really tough, but I have to do it to be again in the top, and I don't have another option if I'm gonna be like before.