Fact Check: Did Juan Carlos Ferrero Disrespect Novak Djokovic With ‘Outclass’ Word After Wimbledon Final?

Carlos Alcaraz is being widely considered as the new ‘King of Tennis’ after defeating Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the Wimbledon 2024 final. The Spaniard’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero is naturally ecstatic with the way his pupil played played on the day. But Ferrero has been accused by a group of enthusiasts of disrespecting the Serb in his latest interview.

The question is – What did Ferrero really say and is the allegation true?

Claim: Alcaraz Outclassed Djokovic as Per Ferrero

Those enthusiasts are mainly Djokovic supporters who have taken to social media. They have accused Ferrero of having ‘lack of class’ for the words he spoke about him.

Many feel that the former World No.1 did not consider the fact that it was remarkable to see the Serb play the final of a Grand Slam just weeks after a knee surgery at the age of 37.

The 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 win does prove that Djokovic was no match to Alcaraz on the day. But Ferrero’s comments have not been appreciated also because the 24-time Grand Slam champion nor any of his team members would ever make such comments against an opponent.

Fact: Ferrero Was Misquoted Due to Poor Translation

In reality, Ferrero’s comments have been taken out of proportion. The interview was in Spanish and it appears that overseas media houses translated the interview on a non-reliable tool. So in English, the word ‘outclassed’ cropped up.

From the original article, the actual quote from Ferrero was – ‘E ha sorprendido un poco el nivel de Djokovic hoy’. It simply translates in English to the Spaniard been taken by surprise at Djokovic’s level.

The word ‘overwhelmed’ is more accurate than ‘overclassed’. Ferrero is of the opinion that Djokovic did not rise to the occasion as Alcaraz was aggressive right from the start. So he cannot be faulted for saying that.

“I was a bit surprised by Djokovic’s level today. I believe he felt overwhelmed from the beginning. He struggled to keep up with Carlos’ pace and ball speed. It’s true that maybe last year he was better, and this year, not being at 100%, it was a bit harder for him,” Ferrero said as translated by Google, per Punto de Break.

During his post-match press conference, Novak Djokovic himself agreed that he was ‘inferior’ to the 21-year-old on the court.

Apart from his recent comments, Ferrero has often praised Djokovic in his interviews. Apart from admitting that Alcaraz copied Djokovic’s style of play during the Wimbledon 2023 finals, Ferrero has even dubbed the Belgrade native as the GOAT over compatriot and former doubles partner Rafael Nadal.