Why David Ferrer will never win the 'Big One'

David Ferrer has had his best year ever on the ATP World Tour. Five titles, two grand slam semi-finals and two quarter finals have advanced ‘the Wall’ up to number 5 in the rankings. Not bad for someone who is 5 ft 9 inches and has the powers comparable to a shrew in the grand scheme of the tennis world. He is one of the most admired and respected players of all time because he has done what most players can only dream of. He has competed at a level above what his potential should have allowed him. Unfortunately today, he showed the world why he hasn’t and will never win the big one.

A set to the good against Novak Djokovic – who admittedly had thrown his toys out of the pram in the previous set – should have been the time when Ferrer dug in and showed Djokovic that he would have to play his absolute best to break him down. Instead the Spaniard handed Djokovic the set 6-2 and effectively the match too.

We all know that Ferrer plays at an extremely high level but if someone is playing above that line, he simply cannot respond. When Rafa Nadal hit peak form at the French Open, Ferrer was powerless. He desperately tried to hit the line on almost every shot and failed, winning just five games. This, every tennis aficionado knew, but today he showed a side to his game that might cause outrage to even suggest it. Is David Ferrer a choker?

Over the past year Ferrer has come so close to pulling off some serious upsets. He made Nadal enter hell in Barcelona and made Andy Murray and the home crowd skip a heartbeat in their Wimbledon quarter final. On both occasions he served for the set and was promptly broken and then lost each tie break rather too feebly. These incidents coupled with his capitulation today can’t be ignored. Ferrer has worked so hard to get where he is today it’s hard to think there would be any kind of fragility in this warrior’s mind but when he actually has a chance to grab a match by the scruff of the neck, he always seems to fall away. Maybe he is so comfortable being the underdog that when he has the chance, he freezes and doesn’t know how to confront this unusual situation of beating a top four player.

It’s a problem that’s afflicted Andy Murray in the past and it’s taken him almost five years to rectify it. Ferrer is now into his thirties and with respect, does not have the talent or power that the Scot possesses. Every neutral fan would love to see Ferrer reach a grand slam final and if hard work won grand slams, Ferrer’s trophy cabinet would be full to the brim. Sometimes though, fairy tales don’t come true and today we were shown why they won’t for the Spanish Terrier.