Juan Carlos Ferrero picks the greatest forehand in tennis history

Juan Carlos Ferrero will discuss his split from Carlos Alcaraz in a high-profile interview set to air on Thursday.

Ferrero, who spent seven years coaching Alcaraz, sat down with Spanish journalist Josef Pedrerol to talk about their separation.

Clips from the interview have already surfaced, with Ferrero expressing a desire to speak directly with Alcaraz.

The conversation also included an interesting segment where Ferrero built his ideal player by selecting the best shots in tennis history.

Ferrero went on to share his pick for the best forehand ever, opting for Rafael Nadal’s iconic shot. “Forehand? Rafa. All my respect,” he added.

Ferrero picks Federer’s forehand as the best ever, with a nod to Nadal and Djokovic

When talking about the greatest forehands of all time, several names always come up: Rafael Nadal’s heavy topspin, Roger Federer’s smooth precision, and Juan Martin del Potro’s thunderous power.

Speaking with Pedrerol, Ferrero picked Federer’s above the rest while building his ideal player.

He also went with another Swiss player for the backhand slot, choosing Stan Wawrinka for that honour.

The rest of Ferrero’s picks included Rafael Nadal’s mentality, Wayne Arthurs’ serve and Novak Djokovic’s return game. For volleying ability, he gave a surprising shoutout to Alcaraz.

“I could tell you Stefan Edberg,” Ferrero said. “But I really like Carlos’ effectiveness. The net work is one of the best in history.”

Ferrero rounded out his choices by picking Alcaraz’s footwork and shared the drop shot between both Alcaraz and Gaston Gaudio.

Ferrero’s volley praise for Alcaraz misses a notable name

Juan Carlos Ferrero is right to highlight Alcaraz’s net game. The 21-year-old stands out in today’s tennis scene for his volleying skills, combining sharp court positioning with clever angles and touch.

Ferrero mentioned both Alcaraz and Edberg, but he left out another name worth mentioning: Rafael Nadal.

Nadal, who has 22 Grand Slams to his name, was arguably the top net player among the Big Three and one of the best volleyers of his era.

The former world number one wrapped up his career in 2024. During that time, he spoke about Carlos Alcaraz in glowing terms, even referring to him as a legend.

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