Roland Garros Tennis Interviews
at Paris, France

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Juan Carlos Ferrero

Q. What happened? Why did you withdraw?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Because my leg hurts a lot, and that's the reason why. I've suffered this pain for quite a while. I thought I had recovered for this tournament, but I played my first match.

It didn't hurt, but then the pain, I started feeling the pain again.


Q. You were not feeling well when you started?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No. I started feeling the pain again at 4‑3 in the first set.


Q. What can you tell us about the way Daniel played?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, he played well, I suppose. He is a fighter, so to speak. He is strong, but under normal circumstances it would have been a different match. I had more opportunities than him to win.


Q. Have you already seen the doctor?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, yes. There was a week in Hamburg, and then in Barcelona and then I arrived here. It's a bit of a strange problem, because scans and x‑rays don't show anything. But when I start playing it hurts, so ‑‑ and it hurts more and more.

So there were tournaments when I didn't play much, so I had time to rest. At the moment, I don't know exactly what the problem is. Doctors tell me they know, and they told me they could cure it. But at the end of the day, it still hurts.


Q. What kind of a pain is it? Is it intense pain?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, it starts, and as I run more, it increases.


Q. (No microphone.)

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, it's a bit like a cramp. It's a contraction. I don't know. Maybe the previous injury I had, it took it a bit of time to heal. They use words I don't understand anyway.


Q. So you were back, you had good results, you were playing well, and it's a bit of a shame for your season on clay.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes. Because I feel good with my tennis. It's a bit of a shame. I couldn't play in Hamburg or in Barcelona, although I played good tennis. But, you know, this is what tennis is about.

You can play for a while and then stop, and this is not always well adapted when we have weeks off, especially during the clay season. So we cope with the schedule, but, you know, this is quite demanding from a physical standpoint.


Q. If you can't go to the Olympic Games, I think this was one of your objectives.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes. It was one of my objectives, but I think it's going to be a bit complex now, even impossible.

So that's another thing, but there is nothing I can do about it. What could I do?


Q. I guess this type of injury will be even more painful on grass, because you have to bend more and to run more.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes. It's going to be difficult. It's not a serious injury, but it comes back. It keeps coming back, and I can't play my best tennis.

For the grass season I have a bit of time ahead of me to have a rest, but apparently I didn't rest enough to play here. So I'll try and do my best, and if it doesn't work out well, too bad.


Q. Any news about the conflict with the president of the federation?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't think this is the appropriate time to talk about it. There's nothing new.