Fernando Verdasco at the ATP Challenger in Tenerife: "I will not give up"
ATP Challenger tournaments are generally regarded as a stepping stone for young stars on the tennis scene. Sometimes the veterans of the tour also have to take the “hard road” - like ex-top 10 man Fernando Verdasco .
by Florian Heer from Tenerife
last edit: Nov 04, 2021, 08:58 am
Often shaken by injuries and thrown back in the ranking, many former top 10 players try to regain places in the higher spheres of the world rankings via the substructure. Andy Murray is considered to be one of the more recent examples of such a case. Equipped with wild cards, first on the Challenger Tour, then on the ATP level, the two-time Wimbledon winner is now delighting the tennis audience again on the big stage.
Fernando Verdasco, still number 7 in the world in April 2009, is also back in the tennis circuit after recovering from an injury break. The 37-year-old Spaniard is number 3 in the Tenerife Challenger.
"I'm very happy to be here," said Verdasco after a first training session last weekend with his former doubles partner and local tournament director David Marrero in the run-up to the event. “I'm trying to get back in shape after a difficult time. I had two surgeries, one on the elbow and one on the knee, in less than a year and couldn't play because of the pandemic. I had to rearrange myself and face new challenges in my life and in my career. I know that I've already achieved a lot, but my love for tennis is still great and I want to give myself time to be competitive again, to get back into the top 100 of the ATP and to play tournaments on the ATP tour again . Of course I won't be 2009 or 2010, but I won't give up. "
Fernando Verdasco: Waiting for Success
Verdasco has not made it past the first round 13 times in 18 tournaments this season. The seven-time ATP Tour champion is looking for his form. In any case, the passion for sport has not been lost.
“Tennis is still my life. Now I have a family, new responsibilities, but if I accept the changes on and off the court I will never stop fighting. It's a big challenge, I have to face very young players who will one day reach the top of the world rankings. It's not a short race, but a marathon, and every day I give everything to get back to the top. "
Verdasco, Lopez, Murray: Differences on the Challenger Tour
Although Verdasco competes with a wildcard on the largest Canary Island, support often seems to be lacking in larger tournaments. “Feliciano Lopez and I ask for wild cards, but we don't get them. I'm not a former Grand Slam champion, nor was I number 1 in the world like Andy Murray was. So we have to play Challenger tournaments and try to win as many matches as possible, ”stated the Madrilene after his opening win against Gian Marco Moroni on Tuesday. On Wednesday he reached the quarter-finals after beating Lorenzo Giustino.
His last title win on the Challenger Tour was two decades ago. In 2007, Verdasco raised the trophy in Segovia. How has the landscape changed in the "second division of tennis" during this time?
"Fortunately, I made the jump to the ATP Tour very quickly, so I didn't spend a lot of time on the Challenger Tour and even won one tournament," explained Verdasco. “But Challenger were and are tough tournaments. Here, too, you will meet players who appear at 250 events or Grand Slams. They are hungry, highly motivated and fight tremendously because they want to collect as many points as possible in order to get up in the ranking quickly. Sometimes it gets really hot, ”smiles the left-hander.
“The level is similar. I don't see much of a difference here. Sometimes it may be even more difficult to compete in Challenger tournaments. There are no technical aids, fewer linesmen, everything is easier. It's also a mental challenge. "
Comfort factor and home advantage
However, the tournament in Tenerife is one where Verdasco feels extremely comfortable. “Not all Challengers are comfortable to play. But it's fantastic here. The facility and the weather are perfect, ”said the world number 165. during the interview under the palm trees at the foot of the Teide in the Abama Tennis Academy.
Perhaps there are also the right framework conditions to give the comeback attempt the decisive impetus. The beginning seems to have been made - and the week may end with another trophy in the large collection of Fernando Verdasco.