*~ Spanish Dream ~*

One to Watch: Juan Carlos Ferrero
26 August 2001

It may not be much of a surprise to see a Spaniard among the contenders to pick up the major honors on the ATP circuit, but a Spanish victory on hard courts was a rare occurrence until recent years.

As the US Open begins on Monday, young prodigy Juan Carlos Ferrero will be hoping to become the first Spaniard to win the title since Manuel Orantes in 1975, and with four titles and a 47-13 record in 2001, he is well equipped to do so.

"I'm playing well on hard courts," says Ferrero, who won the Dubai Tennis Championships earlier this year. "I like to play on hard courts, because all my life I've practiced on them, so I feel so good."

The 21-year-old from Ontenienete, currently in third position in the ATP Champions Race 2001, helped his country win its first ever Davis Cup win in Barcelona last year. But he says he is more at home on the hard courts than he is on the clay of Europe.

It was no surprise that after the adulation he received in his homeland following that famous Davis Cup win in Barcelona, Ferrero would take time to settle back into his rhythm.

"Last year was a great moment in my life," says Ferrero. "I reached the semifinals at Roland Garros and the finals in Dubai and Barcelona. It's important for confidence. But I think the more important moment of the last year was when I won the Davis Cup with Spain.

"I think with the match against Hewitt, there was a lot of pressure from everybody, the captain, from the Spanish people. But I played so good and I'm so happy I finished the year like I did."

Now the Villena resident heads to the US Open determined to learn from his breakthrough year and achieve greater things in 2001. "My goal for this year is to finish the year in the ATP Champions Race Top Five and I want to play the Tennis Masters Cup," says Ferrero. "I think it's possible for me."

It's a dream that is fast becoming a reality. Ferrero's 16-match winning streak in May brought him titles in Estoril and Tennis Masters Series Roma and took him to the final of the Tennis Masters Series Hamburg, and he then went on to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros and the third round at Wimbledon on his debut.

As he gets used to life in the fast lane, the motorbike-loving "Chavilito" or "little kid" as his fellow players call him is becoming accustomed to his newfound fame.

"After the Davis Cup, it was completely crazy," says Ferrero. "When I walk in the street, or when I go to some restaurants, everyone says something about me. It's difficult to understand because five months ago nobody knew who I was and now everybody wants to say hello. I think in the future I have to get used to it."

Ferrero, seeded No. 5 at the US Open, faces Frenchman Arnaud Di Pasquale in the first round.