TMS MONTE CARLO

April 20, 2003

Juan Carlos Ferrero

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Thanks.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Could be. Could be much difficult because I had to win one more set, of course. But, you know, for the conditions, was easy for us to play best-of-three because if we start best-of-five and it's still raining during two days, it's impossible to finish the match. So we spoke with the referees and we thought, both players, we thought that it was better to play three sets. Is better, much better for us, because physically for the next tournament as well we have to think. That's okay.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Of course, of course a very good week for me. I start playing normal tennis, normal level when I finish the match against Mantilla and Gaudio. You know, I think the key was my mentality was very strong all the time when I went down with Gaudio, you know, and Mantilla. And I keep going all the time, you know, fighting and fighting. Finally, you know, you win a tournament and you feel very, very happy.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, I played the last two finals, I lost. So today I wanted to win, you know. I think I play unbelievable - no mistakes, a lot of winners all the time. I didn't leave him to come up, you know. I keep going, playing very well all the time. So I'm really happy for my tennis today.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think Moya, you know, when Moya is playing good, he's very difficult player to win. His forehand is one of the forehands, you know, very fast, you know. You run a lot. Coria, I think he plays more like me, you know. He hit the ball strong with backhand and forehand, you know. He serve like me. So for me, it was better to play against Coria. But for Spanish people, of course was better to play Moya, me. So I have to think was me, so it's much better.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, I spoke with my coach and, you know, we thought that we have -- I have to start very strong all the time, you know, and keep going, keep fighting more than him, you know, and play from the base of the line. Don't go back, you know, any time. I think I play all the time to try to go to the net to finish the point. I think I play with a lot of speed all the time.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: It is special because it's very difficult to win this tournament two years in a row. It's special because you have to defend a lot of points against the same players, the same good players as the last year. And, you know, you never know when you gonna play bad some day or, you know... It's pretty difficult more on clay court because you have to fight more than hard court. So it's special.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Maybe yes, because is final. But when you see the match, I think I play one of the best finals I played. So I think was difficult to play good for him because I did a lot of winners, you know, and no mistakes and was difficult to follow me.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know, you know. I don't think so. I want to win the final, I wanted to win the final. But that final was strange because I had a lot of problems. I didn't feel 100 percent, and he was playing so good. But, you know...

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: That time in Roland Garros?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, I have to put - how is the name - anesthetic, in my ankle and some other part of my body because when I start to feel problems in my ankle, I start to feel also problems in shoulder, abdominal and everything. I think of course was the key to lose the final, and also the key was because he was playing so good.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no, I gonna prepare the French Open the same as the last year, but I hope to be there without problems with my body. I will go there and I will try to play the same level as here and the last year in Roland Garros, and that's it.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I have more experience in the finals. And when you lose that finals, that big finals, you take the experience and you learn that there's losers. So this year I will try to improve in this finals.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Nadal, he has a body like us, you know. He has not the body like 16 years old. So I think this thing helped to him a lot of. He's playing a good tennis, strong tennis. He moves his racquet with a lot of spin, you know, and his forehand. He's one of the guy that's gonna be very up in the ranking. Albert Costa, I think he hasn't play his 100 percent level, but Nadal played so good. I think Nadal is gonna play very good in a few time.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well... I want to be No. 1 in the world, is one of my goals, you know. And then I want to win Roland Garros some day because it's one of my goals. Of course, I want to win US Open because it's on hard court and I would shut up the, you know, the other people saying that the Spanish people is not playing good in hard courts. So I have three goals (smiling).

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I will play Barcelona now, Valencia, Rome, Hamburg, not play Dusseldorf, and Roland Garros.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Monte-Carlo is very important because it's Masters Series. It's different, because it's in Spain and it's important as well. But I am not gonna compare, you know, both tournaments.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Last year I had the problems in my adductors in the final and I had to put some injections last year to play the final. Moya, as well. So I think we play with the same problems. This year I felt very good all the week. I didn't have problems, I didn't have many problems in outdoor. So I felt very, very good.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. Last year I didn't have a physio with me, you know. Maybe I stretch little bit less than I am doing now because it's with you all the time. So maybe. I don't know. Maybe.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know, you have to ask to the other (inaudible). I don't know. For the tennis world, I think I am very popular.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Better, yeah.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Sometimes you do. You have the privacy, but not like you want.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no, no. I will stay there because I have now the academy there. We put everything there. I have all I need there. I have family very close. I have the academy. I have the people that I love since 10 years ago. So I'm very good there.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Like we have 20 players, 24 right now. You can ask to my coach, he is the director of the academy. He can sit here and tell you some things (smiling).

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I hope to know everything, I hope. But I think you can learn something always. So if I need to learn something, I will find it and I will try. If not, perfect.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, not yet.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Thank you (smiling).