Ferrer fading away, likely losing seeded spot at Wimbledon

One of the great iron men of this generation is slowly fading away. David Ferrer, who was seeded at the last 48 Grand Slams that he has competed in, will likely be unseeded at Wimbledon.

No other player—male or female—has competed in more majors as a seed since the 2005 French Open. Only 18-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer and 15-time major winner Rafael Nadal have been seeded throughout that span on the men’s side, with Federer playing in 46 majors and Nadal in 43.

While Ferrer has reached just one Grand Slam final, at the 2013 French Open, the world No. 39's longevity near the top of the sport has been impressive. .

The 35-year-old has held a Top 5 seed at a major 14 times, and a Top 10 seed a staggering 27 times

“I don't think he gets the respect that he deserves within the game. He's been in the Top 5 in the world now for at least three years. He's improved his game every single year,” world No. 1 Andy Murray said about Ferrer in 2013. “Providing his body holds up, he'll be around the top of the game for as long as he wants or he can, because he's a very, very, good tennis player.”

It’s tough to blame Ferrer for faltering at 35—over a dozen years after he made his seeded debut at a Slam—but the baseline grinder has certainly struggled in 2017. The Spaniard has gone 8-12 this season, losing in the first round of six tournaments.

But perhaps what has been most surprising this season was his lack of resurgence during the red clay swing, where Ferrer has typically thrived. He failed to beat a Top 30 opponent on clay this season, losing in the second round of the French Open to compatriot Feliciano Lopez.

Ferrer has always been known for breaking down opponents with his own legs by getting to every ball and forcing opponents to be perfect every point, something that cannot be expected to carry on at 35. At 5-foot-9, Ferrer does not have finishing power in his groundstrokes or serve to help him rely less on his footwork, which for years has made him pound-for-pound one of the best players in the world.

Ferrer will likely at best be No. 39 in the rankings when Wimbledon releases the seeding next week, leaving him just out of luck.

It does not help that Ferrer has had his worst Grand Slam results at the All England Club, advancing past the third round five times in 13 appearances.

Regardless of where Ferrer goes from here, the world should take a moment to appreciate his longevity—the sport has certainly been better for it.

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