..:: INTERVIEWS ::..
2004 Center Cour w/Chris Myers
The Tennis Channel

October 31, 2004

Exclusive to Safinator.com
Please do not reproduce or post elsewhere!




Nice to have Marat Safin with us. How are ya?

Marat: Very good.

How would you size up that ride in your career.. in a sentence or two?

Marat: Great. I think I'm having a great career. Six years, one year of injury, but really I had everything.. that would happen to a tennis player in six years.

So, are you hard on yourself, or do you critique where you should be? Do you measure that on your own?

Marat: No.. I am where I am. I'm satisfied and I had a couple of opportunities this year to do better.. just in the French Open I got injured, I was playing great tennis.. I had difficult matches, and I was there... it could be a big change, I could be around the top ten.. so a couple of matches that make a big difference this year.

And how did Walt Landers and the commitment to fitness help?

Marat: Have you spoke to him or what?

No, I didn't, I just understand he had a positive influence.

Marat: No, I mean he helped me a lot.. last year in the preseason, he worked with me very hard and we had good results. He's doing a great job and I think he's an excellent masseur. He has a lot of experience with what he does.. he's been around with big players like Sampras, Agassi, Ferrero.. basically he's been all over the ATP tour, and he knows about it a lot, but he speaks also a lot.. so it's a good part of it and a bad side to it.

What's the bad side?

Marat: That he talks too much! (laughing)

And what kinds of things.. give me an example of some things he worked with you on that you think made a difference.

Marat: It's really important for me just to be fit, not to get injured because tennis is becoming so athletic and too strong and you have to be really really prepared for all of the season. Because everybody gets injuries, everybody has surgeries, like Johansson, Haas, been out for a year, so many things so you'll be able to play a little bit longer, you'll be able to play week by week and without any stops and make your life and career nice. You need to be healthy, and for that you need a professional next to you.

Is the tennis season too long?

Marat: Yes, it is. It is too long and everybody knows it, everybody complains in the locker room, and nothing has been done for them. It's really sad.. everybody's saying it but nobody makes any decisions... changes or something, because like Ferrero got injured, Haas, Johansson, Ivanisevic, me I was out for a year, so you know.. and to keep a good level of tennis, and all the players to be in shape you need to make a bit shorter the year, and then you have all the best players playing great tennis and it will be much better for the year.

So it's more the physical wear and tear than the mental part of it?

Marat: Of course you get burned out also actually. The mental part is also very important because you're flying, changing to hotels and all your life in a suitcase. Sometimes you get depressed, sometimes you really can't do much. You have to stay there, you practice, you go to the hotel, hotel, practice, practice, hotel, so basically not much to do, but that's a hard part of it.. you have to pay the price, but still, you try to manage somehow to enjoy it. And you get used to it.

You're still relatively young.. but you started early. What was it, age six you first picked up a racquet?

Marat: A little bit earlier.. since I could walk. My mother she gave me.. she made me play with the racquet because she was on the tennis court, she used to play tennis before.

A very well known coach, thought of as the Nick Bolleiteri of Russia, have you heard that?

Marat: Not actually, but anyway thanks for the compliment.. I will tell her (smiling sarcastically)

Will you pass that along to her? What's her name by the way?

Marat: (laughing) you see.. they asking for the autograph and then they ask your name..

I don't know how to pronounce it.

Marat: Ok, doesn't matter.. Safina.

But she's coached (that's easy for me to say) a number of people, right?

Marat: Dementieva, Myskina, passed through her hands.. plus me, my sister, and some other kids that were a little bit older but had the opportunity to get out of Russia because of the system in Russia. They were great players, a lot of great players she had, and I think she's a good coach, a little bit too tough, you know with the kids so...

A very famous.. Spartak is the club, is the academy..?

Marat: Not academy.. it's a club.

What's the difference there?

Marat: It's not commercial.

Oh, ok

Marat: The academy is more commercial, if we talk about academy, for example, Bolleiteri, which is a big money making machine. And of course some great people came out of this system, but in Russia it's a little bit different story. It's a club.. the people they don't make a huge amount of money. To them it's more important to have good players rather than to have a lot of money.

I want to talk about your mom. When you say "too tough". Difficult, obviously the sport, parent as coach , but how was that for you as a young man? It's one thing to have her tell you one thing as a mother and another as a coach.

Marat: Yeah you can't.. it doesn't go together being a mother and being a coach at the same time. That doesn't work. It didn't work in any sport. I don't want to make any examples.. but still, I don't think it's really working. It's better to keep your mother as a mother than keep her as a coach, because otherwise your family breaks.

And so as you get older here, right, I mean you're more in charge?

Marat: Yeah. So I'm teaching her and she doesn't teach me (smiling)

So you can tell her "no, mom"?

Marat: Yeah, but she was really good to me and straight away at the age of 14 she decided to give it up and let me go to Spain where my new life started, which is really a good part of it. (laughing w/big mischevious grin on face)

What was Spain compared to Russia in terms of tennis?

Marat: Of course a lot of much more opportunities.. much more.. let's put it this way.. weather, you can play outside around the year, huge amount of players, a lot of clubs, a lot of courts, no problem with balls, racquets, you know, all those things, and you can play 24 hours a day tennis.

And was it 2003 in Australia you brought your mom back to Australia?

Marat: No, she came before but that was (inteligible) and nobody cares about her but.. Yes, but it's really tough to have a mother sitting in the stands because you can feel that she's really into it, and she's really get nervous because she wants you to win. So you know, it's a little bit tough.

A little bit of pressure there?

Marat: A little pressure, yes.

Where was your father in all of this?

Marat: My father, he gave up already. For like 2 years he doesn't come anymore to tournaments because he prefers to watch it on tv so he can shout at me, and yeah, typical.

Where did you pick up your temper from? I think it was Myskina who said she learned a lot from you, inlcuding her on court..

Marat: Crying and everything. (smiling) From.. just I'm too perfectionist you know, a little bit. I like to do it really perfect.. I hate to lose.

And that's a good thing right?

Marat: It's a good thing but sometimes my nerves.. my head it doesn't go together with the body you know?

But you seem to enjoy tennis on one hand, then on another hand it's almost like you're annoyed by some of the things that come with it.

Marat: There's always a good side and a bad side. I mean, it's not only a good side.. we're travelling and we're playing tennis, we're having fun. It's work, it's a job. Sometimes it doesn't go.. you're not playing very well, you have to pay the price, and you get a little bit annoyed with that. Because you really want to win, you don't win, and it doesn't work. You have to travel for months, and you're flying, and you're getting tired. When you're playing well, of course you're enjoying it, you do a lot of stuff and you're having fun.

So the fame, do you like that? Dealing with that.. are you used to that now?

Marat: Yes. I am.

We're getting chuckles from the room. What do you like most about it?

Marat: You can get anything you want in a matter of minutes.

Really? Even if it's something that's maybe not good for you?

Marat: Yeah, seconds. I'm talking about seconds. I go somewhere, have a table, enter in anyplace you want. You can do it. That's the good part of it.

Is it ever too much where it gets in the way of you trying to live your life the way you want to?

Marat: It's a little bit difficult. You travel, sometimes you want to stay in one place for a little bit longer but you have to go somewhere. It's always on a plane and it's always flights and changing hotels and rooms..

Can I ask you about breaking racquets? Or will you get mad?

Marat: It's okay.

It's okay? It's entertaining. Some people enjoy it, they think it adds a lot because you're also a guy who plays..

Marat: But some people they hate me also.. they think what the hell is he doing..

You're not doing it for an act, I mean, that's a real emotion, right? When something like that happens?

Marat: I'm real emotional.

John McEnroe has often said, hey I needed to do that because that's how I had to play, I had to yell and scream.

Marat: Yeah, because before I had no contract with any of the racquets so I couldn't break them in the beginning, and I wanted really badly, I was getting really pissed, so now that I have the opportunities of breaking racquets I'm using that. But it's just coming.. you get pissed sometimes and you can do nothing about it.

Is it true you broke 68 racquets in a year?

Marat: Yes, that's my record. 1999 or 2000.

I know you didn't want to talk about the pants incident, but that was entertaining. At the French, was that just something that was a fun thing at the moment and people held it against you?

Marat: No, but back then I was young and stupid. So now I grew up and..

You're maturing?

Marat: Yeah, I matured a lot and that was back then.

Ok, so you don't regret that?

Marat: No, I'm not. The people they remember me for this. "That's the guy who pulled the pants down!"

Well, and I remember you from the 2000 US Open. It was a spectacular display of tennis, beating Pete Sampras.

Marat: I was great there. I was great.

So what was happening? See, you were young then. But you weren't stupid. You were young and successful at that match.

Marat: And stupid. (laughing)

You just blocked it out?

Marat: Yeah. I learned a lot. It was a great experience, maybe a little bit too early for me to do such good results so it might have put a little bit of pressure on yourself because you have a lot of expectations. The people, they expect you to maintain, to be number one, to be in the top 3 to 5, for the rest of the years. So it's like it's so much putting pressure on yourself.

But in that match, I think that's when people, "hey this guy, he's really", I mean you.. something special happening in the time, it was almost like perfect.

Marat: Yeah, because you know, after that, no matter what I would do that day it would be perfect. Everything worked.

You like Davis Cup right? That's a good time?

Marat: Yeah.

And what do you like most about that? Is it the team play, representing your country?

Marat: No, the best part is.. three months later nobody remembered that we won the Davis Cup. It was already, we're having Davis Cup every year, so we won 2002 and 2003, like in April, nobody knew who won last year because we're already playing...

So you think they should alter the way that.. ?

Marat: Yeah, it should be more special so then I can feel good about myself.

And you played with Kafelnikov? He's an older positive influence. Talk about how he maybe mentored you and helped along the way and other things.

Marat: He helped, yes.

Fun guy. He's a great guy to talk to.

Marat: Really?

Yes, I talked to him a few times at the US Open.

Marat: Oh yeah? He was nice to you? (smiling) He's a special guy. He has his own view of life. Always like geniuses, you have your own.. you know?

A little bit.. you'd put him in that category?

Marat: Yeah. I think he had a great career. He was great for tennis back then because nobody from Russia won a Grand Slam. He was the first one to win it and he was.. which is a lot, he was a lot of things to tennis in Russia. That's why he became so big, because of him. Before it was Volkov, Chesnokov, but he was a big star. That's why all the kids that play tennis, that's why all the rich people, politicians there, they like to play between them, for money, little bit of money, so for them it's good, it's good for tennis and it's good for people in Russia because they really enjoy it.

You've kind of continued. Did he ever talk to you about that? That reponsibility.

Marat: He doesn't care about me. He cares about himself. I'm just trying to keep a little bit, of this special feeling that the people care about tennis. Because it's become a really big sport in Russia. Before it wasn't so great, and now we can see tennis 24 hours a day.

And now you're part of that. I mean you deserve a little credit for the success.

Marat: I'm trying to win..

You seem very modest about that.

Marat: (nods modestly)

You're proud of what you've done?

Marat: I'm proud But still there's many things..

There's a lot more to go?

Marat: Yeah. I hope so.

Let's talk about 2004 the Australian Open and some marathon matches, the 5 setters. What do you remember most about that? Todd Martin, there was Roddick..

Marat: I was really.. I felt really proud of myself. (he looks really cute when he says this)

And physically when you're going through something like that, what's that like?

Marat: That I made a great job, four months. I mean, I've been working out four months and I was killing myself so..

So it payed off there?

Marat: Yeah. So I'm really really happy about that, and happy to win these kind of matches and just was feeling great after one yaer I didn't play.

What kind of goals do you have? Things that you have to accomplish?

Marat: I had many goals at the beginning of the year, the way the year is going, less and less goals for this year, but still.

What advice would you have for younger players on the scene and having success at a young age that said "hey, what should I know about this?

Marat: Be careful with yourself, because what happened to Hingis, what happened to Capriati, very early age they achieved a lot, then they get bored, and then they fight with the parents, and they're having trouble. So you need to stretch your career a little bit longer. It doesn't matter if you start at the age of 16 or if you start at the age of 20, doesn't matter.

They get bored. Is that part of a burnout?

Marat: Yeah of course. Because you travel, people expect from you a lot and sponsor, they're putting you a little bit pressure because they want you to win and it's managers.. and with women it's a little bit difficult.. they're very fragile. (LOL) The coach has to take care of them a little bit more than with the guys.

The perception of Marat Safin is this guy who's won big matches, Grand Slam events, but that he should win more. This is from the outside.. he should win more. Do you feel that way?

Marat: I want to win more.

You're trying to win more?

Marat: I'm trying. Believe me, I'm trying. But many people they're saying 'you have to'. You HAVE to is the word that I.. you 'could", you HAVE to, and that I"m wasting opportunities, that I'm wasting my time, and this kind of stuff. But it's really, it's really bothering them..

It seems to bother them more than it bothers you?

Marat: It bothers me, believe me.

It does?

Marat: Yeah. But I'm not trying to convince anybody. I give up. But it's just really sad, and everybody just, everybody has to say something.

Right. Are you mis-understood a little bit?

Marat: I'm not mis-understood. I'm just tired of answering all the time these stupid questions. And these comments because the people who never acheived anything.. they are saying that. (cough Pat McEnroe, cough)

Accusing you of..

Marat: Not accusing, but just, you know, but pretending that they said something.

Don't you think too the level of competition and the other outstanding players that are out there have something to do with it?

Marat: yeah, they forget about them. There's a lot of players who want to win also, you know, we have Federer we have Roddick we have Ferrero, Grosjean, we have a bunch of players that they want to win also. And also great players and full of talent and very ambitious and they're tough to beat them.

We always ask our guest before they leave, if they were the commissioner of tennis, if you were in charge, what you would do. What would be the Marat Safin rule of the sport?

Marat: Let the people be what they wanna be. Because there's too many limits in our sport and it has to be a big, radical change because such a great sport. I think it's one of the most incredible sports because it's individual, you can see a lot of characters, but for some reason we're stuck. We're really stuck. And it's really sad to see that because I'm looking from the inside. You guys are looking from the outside and it's a little bit different story. But believe me that if, if would be like radical changes in tennis, tennis would be much more interesting, much more entertaining and much more fun to watch.

Well, we enjoy watching you play. You bring a lot of personality..

Marat: At least something..

And continued success.. thanks for coming by Marat Safin.. here on Center Court.

Marat: Thank you.






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