Is David Ferrer mentally the worst player ever?

Never beaten Federer and doesn't have a good record against Big 4? Only the mentally weakest ever player would allow that. :mad:
 
Newcomer said:
I'm not a tennis player so your comment is irrelevant.

Ferrer isn't that bad only against Federer.
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So if one is a tennis player he has to beat Federer otherwise he is mentally the weakest?

Can you find another player that Ferrer holds a 0-17 record against? Of course you can't. He only has a clearly negative record against the Big 4 which is completely normal considering how good they are. Against the rest of the field Ferrer is more than good. That's why he has over 700 career match wins and will soon be ranked 12th on the all time list of match wins.

But sure, nobody is as mentally weak as Ferrer. :rolleyes:
 
Sabratha said:
And after 2004 Roddick reliquished the No. 2 ranking. From 2006 until 2011 he was usually ranked like 6.
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Roddick still had short stints in the top 5. In 2007 from Montreal until (and including )the WTF, he was in the top 5. And should have ended in the top 5 that year, but lost a key match to Ferrer at the WTF.

In 2009 after Wimb Roddick was also top 5.
 
But yeah, the premise of the thread is bollocks.
Ferrer a mental midget? No chance. He just has a match-up issue with Federer, if anything.
 
Tiki-Taka said:
So if one is a tennis player he has to beat Federer otherwise he is mentally the weakest?

Can you find another player that Ferrer holds a 0-17 record against? Of course you can't. He only has a clearly negative record against the Big 4 which is completely normal considering how good they are. Against the rest of the field Ferrer is more than good. That's why he has over 700 career match wins and will soon be ranked 12th on the all time list of match wins.

But sure, nobody is as mentally weak as Ferrer. :rolleyes:
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In terms of top level Ferrer isn't that good, not mentality.

H2H is even with Berdych. Both are similar players IMO.
 
Ferrer is not normally mentally weak as his record against almost everybody else shows. He has maximised his talent. However, I did feel he had real chances today against a Federer playing at only about 60% capacity and he should maybe have capitalised on that a bit better after taking the 1st set. He missed some very makeable returns and I couldn't help but feel it was because even a lackluster Fed was still in his head (if you pardon the rhyme).

Had a real chance today to finally get on their H2H scoreboard but he blew it. Great shame as he may never get another golden opportunity like that!
 
mike danny said:
The clay thing doesn't apply to Ferrer though. Clay is Ferrer's favorite surface too, like Nadal's.

Also Ferrer's record against Berdych in majors in atrocious.
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I know but....2-19 against Nadal on clay? Meh, wouldn't really expect him to do a whole lot better. Fed is 2-13 and he's much superior to Ferrer on clay.
 
Ferrer is a mug. You've been a regular top 5 player and you're 17-0 against someone? Lmao, how is that even possible? Probably another member of Fed's cult along with Dimitrov, Wawrinka and Goffin. Might as well just give Fed walkovers.
 
David is a slacker and weak. He has only been a top 10 player from 10-2010 to May of last year, and top 20 since May of 2005. Been top 5 a lot of that time.

I say...mental midget and just a lot of luck

FFS
 
duaneeo said:
You think Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic would have 19, 15, and 12 slams if they were 4 - 6 inches shorter?
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I don't see Marcelo Rios doing as badly against Federer and he's 5'9" too.
 
Nalbandian is only 5'11" and has a decent record against Federer.
 
I was at the match today, and I have to say that seeing the top players in person gives you a different perspective. The play is much faster and more reactionary than what you're seeing on television, and the ball is doing things you can't see on television. The players are more lithe and athletic and Federer himself looks bigger in person. I've seen other pros before, but this was my first time seeing Federer and Ferrer.

The match confirmed to me some of the reasons why Ferrer is one of the toughest players on tour (his consistency on tour speaks to that): the guy is great mover with a heavy forehand, great consistency, and he competes with intensity for every point! Indeed, he has to be one of the mentally toughest players on tour. However, Federer has certain trump cards in his serve and forehand. Federer's serve is incredible in person not only in its accuracy and power, but also in its disguise. His forehand really dominates a lot of exchanges; I got a better sense of why players want to keep it away from Federer's forehand, especially if they don't hit a huge ball. His forehand shots really drop! Federer can also neutralize so many shots with his slice backhand.

Anyways, I think if the critics of Ferrer's "mental game" saw the match in person they'd realize there are key technical and athletic differences between the two players and the Ferrer is actually a really tough player mentally (just comparing Ferrer's backhand to Federer's is revealing).

Also, why the overly harsh, almost personal criticisms of players? I have a lot of respect for all the top pros tennis-wise. In fact, even when I attend lower-tier events I find skills to be impressed by and think how I can apply the experience to my own game. Open your eyes posters! Celebrate and critique, but don't cut people down, especially since you have a lot to learn from Ferrer!
 
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Newcomer said:
That's it, 17-0. I had no doubt even after the first set. I knew this mug will choke like he always does. I wonder if that can become the worst head to head ever seen in tennis. Maybe it already is. :eek:
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But Ferrer is 11-0 against Fognini who has beaten Nadal 3 times(2 were on clay).

If Ferrer is mentally weak then Nadal is a mental midget.
 
EdMcMush said:
from 2007 to 2016 he spent at least one week in top 10. And 7 of those 10 years he finished top 10 at years end. So yeah
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But the way you phrased it made it sound like he spent 10 years consistently in the top 10. Which he didn't.

As far as I remember, he didn't spend a single week in the top 10 in 2009 though.
 
So unfortunate some of the responses in this thread disparaging Ferrer. Like some wise posters, I tend to avoid the General Pro Player section because the level of discourse is so low. The trolling is ridiculous and I'm not writing with those people in mind but perhaps to some of the posters who are new to tennis or have never seen professional tennis in person or don't play much themselves.

Ferrer is hailed by his colleagues for his work ethic and intensity/level of effort on court. There was a quote from Federer in the Montreal Gazette today, "...I feel like probably he [Ferrer] probably works harder than I do, so he probably deserves it more." Do five minutes of reading and you can see how well respected he is on tour. Regardless, Ferrer's record on tour (710–347), his prize money (7th of all time), his longevity, and his titles (27) speak to his work ethic and determination. You don't accomplish what he has on tour if you're not mentally strong. Ferrer is a 5'8" grinder, not a 6'2" all-courter with all the strokes like Federer. He's not going to out-grind Federer; it has nothing to do with "mental toughness" and everything to do with Federer's strokes and athleticism (Federer has a better forehand, backhand, serve, volley and overhead).

Anyways, I encourage posters to post some praise for Ferrer in this thread: the guy's a testament to the game.
 
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Chopin said:
Anyways, I encourage posters to post some praise for Ferrer in this thread: the guy's a testament to the game.
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Anyways, I encourage posters to post some praise for the OP in this thread: the guy's a testament to the level of ignorance and stupidity of the General Pro Player section of the forum.

Ferrer is an incredible example of someone working super hard to max out his (limited) potential - limited of course only in comparison to the absolute best players and maybe a few of the overtalented underachievers.

If posters on this forum want to be disrespectful to tennis pro's, then why not Kyrgios, Tomic, Fognini? But even those guys work physically harder than most of us here would think! And you probably don't want to switch with Kyrgios or Tomic's inner struggles. As for the Fog, he actually seems more grounded since becoming a dad. Saw him play in Gstaad this year, he seemed relatively calm and focused, fighting for the W. And, his ball striking is remarkable!




...fail better!
 
The OP should be absolutely clueless to troll or hate on such a player like David Ferrer.

I have never seen anyone from any fan bases talking bad about David Ferrer, in these five and half years here in this forum. He made the maximum out of his talents. Nobody can say that he is mentally weak, and if he/she says that, it's absolute nonsense. The remark "he is the mentally worst player ever" doesn't even merit a response
 
Chopin said:
So unfortunate some of the responses in this thread disparaging Ferrer. Like some wise posters, I tend to avoid the General Pro Player section because the level of discourse is so low. The trolling is ridiculous and I'm not writing with those people in mind but perhaps to some of the posters who are new to tennis or have never seen professional tennis in person or don't play much themselves.

Ferrer is hailed by his colleagues for his work ethic and intensity/level of effort on court. There was a quote from Federer in the Montreal Gazette today, "...I feel like probably he [Ferrer] probably works harder than I do, so he probably deserves it more." Do five minutes of reading and you can see how well respected he is on tour. Regardless, Ferrer's record on tour (710–347), his prize money (7th of all time), his longevity, and his titles (27) speak to his work ethic and determination. You don't accomplish what he has on tour if you're not mentally strong. Ferrer is a 5'8" grinder, not a 6'2" all-courter with all the strokes like Federer. He's not going to out-grind Federer; it has nothing to do with "mental toughness" and everything to do with Federer's strokes and athleticism (Federer has a better forehand, backhand, serve, volley and overhead).

Anyways, I encourage posters to post some praise for Ferrer in this thread: the guy's a testament to the game.
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Ferrer is 5'9" and 160 lbs. The same as Rios.
 
Sabratha said:
Ferrer is 5'9" and 160 lbs. The same as Rios.
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The wikipedia entry lists him as 5'8", though I see on the ATP tour website he's listed as 5'9". It doesn't really matter whether it's 5'8" or 5'9" though as all my points stand. Rios was a very different type of player than Ferrer (and not a good sport) and he also never won a slam, so I'm not sure what the comparison is. I'm not saying an average height guy couldn't win slams today, but you he need to have an Agassi-like level of technical purity. Ferrer is no Agassi.
 
Chopin said:
The wikipedia entry lists him as 5'8", though I see on the ATP tour website he's listed as 5'9". It doesn't really matter whether it's 5'8" or 5'9" though as all my points stand. Rios was a very different type of player than Ferrer (and not a good sport) and he also never won a slam, so I'm not sure what the comparison is. I'm not saying an average height guy couldn't win slams today, but you he need to have an Agassi-like level of technical purity. Ferrer is no Agassi.
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Ferrer isn't an Agassi but that's beside the real issue; his failure to mix things up and that he enjoys pushing players back as opposed to going for winners.

Ferrer isn't really a backboard, he just likes overpowering opponents from the baseline and that won't cut it against the very best.

He's a good player though. Solid, not mentally weak by any stretch but not the most diversely talented player either. Made the most of his skill with heaps of GS QF, SF and a RG final. Also a career high of 3. Not bad at all.
 
Feather said:
The OP should be absolutely clueless to troll or hate on such a player like David Ferrer.

I have never seen anyone from any fan bases talking bad about David Ferrer, in these five and half years here in this forum. He made the maximum out of his talents. Nobody can say that he is mentally weak, and if he/she says that, it's absolute nonsense. The remark "he is the mentally worst player ever" doesn't even merit a response
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It's unfortunate that there's been a trend on these boards recently to disparage so many players and the game in general. I saw another recent thread with a running list of bizarre conspiracy theories about the sport. I can't help but wonder if these posters might enjoy following something else other than tennis.

Sabratha said:
Ferrer isn't an Agassi but that's beside the real issue; his failure to mix things up and that he enjoys pushing players back as opposed to going for winners.

Ferrer isn't really a backboard, he just likes overpowering opponents from the baseline and that won't cut it against the very best.

He's a good player though. Solid, not mentally weak by any stretch but not the most diversely talented player either. Made the most of his skill with heaps of GS QF, SF and a RG final. Also a career high of 3. Not bad at all.
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I'm glad we're basically in agreement, though Ferrer can definitely grind with the best of them!
 
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Chopin said:
I'm glad we're basically in agreement, though Ferrer can definitely grind with the best of them!
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For sure, but just grinding won't help you against Federer in particular who enjoys mixing things up and changing rhythm a lot.

Ferrer did well in taking a set actually. Think he may still have bursts of his top level (maybe).
 
Sabratha said:
For sure, but just grinding won't help you against Federer in particular who enjoys mixing things up and changing rhythm a lot.

Ferrer did well in taking a set actually. Think he may still have bursts of his top level (maybe).
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Ferrer played well; he really put a lot of pressure on Federer in the 1st set. Federer dictated more and more as the match went on and his slice really neutralized some of Ferrer's more aggressive shots. I have a feeling that that was my first and only time watching Federer live in Montreal though--hard to imagine him back at in 2019! I suppose anything is possible with that guy though.
 
1484782968609.jpg
 
Ferrer is a workhorse, plain and simple. He for years worked his tail off to be at the top and maximized everything he had to get there despite many players around him being technically better in many areas of the game. He is arguably a 500/250 level king, but there is nothing wrong with that when you can ride in the top 10 based on your success there. If he had the talent to match his heart, hard work and stamina he'd be a multi-major winner.

you want a mentally weak player at the top, look at some of the French guys....
 
When you are a player without a single spectacular weapon and a pretty one dimensional and uncreative game, you had better atleast be extremely tough mentally. Ferrer isnt. He is a good fighter, but always has gotten nervous when trying to close out sets, games, or matches vs top players, and on big points. He is like a poorer version of peak Hewitt with none of the mental strength.
 
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