What a tennis player should do if he becomes world number one and then finds himself in a situation where he struggles to win a single ATP title for more than 100 tournaments?
Ask Juan Carlos Ferrero, who endured a 110-tournament title drought between 2003 and 2009 before finally managing to come trumps, and the former world number throws an ace.
"I kept practising. It's important that you don't give up," Ferrero, who is in the capital for the Champions Tennis League (CTL) and representing Delhi Dreams team, told PTI in an interview.
Ferrero, 34, nicknamed 'mosquito' by one of his friends for his unbelievable agility on the court, touched the pinnacle when he won the 2003 French Open after beating his idol the great Andre Agassi in the US Open semifinals to become world number one.
But soon injury and loss of form brought before him a torrid period.
"It was difficult. I was used to win tournaments. Then I had some injury. I did not have the confidence I had before. I could pass through and start wining the tournament," he said recalling the tough days.
What exactly he did, how he kept himself motivated?
"You play tournaments and tournaments, every year. People give up a little bit (early). It was important being professional in practicing. This again gave me the confidence."
The dogged determination paid off and Ferrero ended the drought with win at Casablanca in 2009 and went on to win four more singles titles, all on clay.
But he could not win another Grand Slam. Ferrero said that he is quite content with what he has achieved in life.
"If I win two then, there would be question, I did not win three. So I am happy with what I have done. Of course, I wanted to win more but I could not do it.
"I never imagined when I was young that I could achieve what I have got. There have been very important moments in my career, I won Davis Cup (the first one for Spain), then won at Grand Slam. For any player to win Grand Slam, I think it is the most you can achieve as a tennis player. Then I became world number one. I am very happy all my career," he said.
