The legend of the Little Beast only grows with time and age. Ferrer will turn 34 in April, but he’s coming off what was in many ways the most impressive year of his career. In 2015, he finished 55–16 and won more titles (five) than he had in all but one of his previous 15 years on tour. Those numbers may have been higher had he not missed much of the summer, including Wimbledon, with an elbow injury.
Ferrer’s days of challenging for the top tier may be over; he went just 3–11 against the Top 10 last season and failed to make it past the quarterfinals of a major. But nobody is better at beating the opponents he’s supposed to beat and winning the tournaments he’s supposed to win. Consider Ferrer’s remarks after he won his 22nd career title, in Doha: “For me, all the ATP tournaments [are] important. I have another one in my career. For me, this tournament is not preparation for the Australian Open.”
Two years ago, a few cracks began to show in Ferrer’s physical armor—he may have even given up on a ball of two. In 2014, for the first time in five years, he had failed to finish inside the Top 8. It looked like the veteran Spaniard was finally beginning to wear down. But Ferrer started the 2015 season strong, winning three titles in his first four tournaments, and finished the same way, winning two more titles 10 months later.
Ferrer was 52–5 against everyone outside the Top 10 in 2015, and he’ll play the majority of his matches against players at that level in 2016. He remains as determined as ever, and if anyone can win on determination alone, it’s Ferrer.
At a certain point, the body betrays even the most tenacious competitor. While there are few threats from below right now, in his mid-30s and with 15 years of mileage on his legs, every season could be Ferrer’s Waterloo.
The Little Beast may never rise in the rankings again, but even at 34, he hasn’t run into the wall yet, either.
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