“I’d rather come here (to L.A.) without tennis. It’s much more pleasant than coming here and playing tennis. Even though the tournament is great.”
So said Marat Safin after beating Ernests Gulbis, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday at the LA Tennis Open.
For Marat fans, Wednesday’s match was a rare gem – a hard-fought, hard-hitting, rollercoaster ride of traded breaks and missed opportunities that Safin actually won in the end. But the Russian was quick to squelch any hopes of a Sampras-like finish to his career. When asked about the U.S. Open, Marat gave himself “no chance” to win.
Pete Sampras, who played Marat in an exhibition match on Monday (which Safin described afterwards as “too much stress”), explained that he was “emotionally spent” when he retired: “I didn’t have much left in the tank,” he said in a pre-match press conference.
Marat admitted on Wednesday that he’s feeling the aches and pains of twelve years on tour. “I need to spend much more time at the gym,” he said. But, like Pete, it’s the emotional stress more than the physical grind that is pushing him to retire.
“I need some vacation. At least half a year just to relax and realize that I’m not anymore a tennis player. And to understand that there is life afterwards. To relax because it’s too much stress throughout the years.”
He added that he’s looking forward to a “different way of thinking” when there are “no more match points, no more deuces, no more second serves” to stress-out about.
And no, he’s not going to miss the camaraderie of the tour. Safin says there is none, at least nowadays:
“Nobody (on tour) talks. There is no more friendship on tour like there used to be coming up. You can’t find Rafter and Philippoussis hanging out together. Now it’s become too professional. Nobody has as much fun as it used to be before. . .It’s a business – a huge business. Everybody’s hungry for money, obviously. (Like) any other job. Everybody’s walking with five or six guys – some of them even carrying their bags for them. Which is not really nice to see. But it happens.”
“I don’t have (best friends) on tour. It’s not sad. It’s okay. I’m okay with that.”
He hedged when asked about future plans. Will he suffer the enviable fate of Pete Sampras, who admitted on Monday that he’s still “looking for things to do.”?
“There are so many things to do.” Marat said, not needing to finish what he must have been thinking: “As long as it’s not tennis.”
Television coverage of the LA Tennis Open begins on Thursday. Click here for the schedule.
Tags: Interviews, LA Tennis Open, retirement, Safin, Sampras, tennis, U.S. Open Series
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It’s okay as long as Marat Safin is alive. That’s what matters. Anyway, it will be depressing for fans to count the days until Paris comes!
Divine intervention can only force Marat to be on tour for another year. I wish I was divine!
But ‘before his evening match on stadium court, Marat Safin joked with LA Tennis Open Tournament Staff at the players desk, answering phones and taking messages before edging out Robby Ginepri in three sets.’ (courtesy of LATennisOpen.com)
At least somehow he’s kinda cheery…:)
Dang, I wish I was working the players desk instead of the interview room!
I was a little surprised at Marat’s dour press conference because I’ve seen him around the grounds giving autographs and taking photos with fans, all the time with a huge smile on his face. Plus, he played an exo against Sampras and is still alive in singles and doubles – not the actions of someone who’s hating playing tennis, right?
I’m guessing Marat is a genuinely nice person and is trying to enjoy himself. I’m also guessing that interviews are not his favorite and that he’s sick of retirement questions. But the general malaise and stress are probably real, on a “meta” level.
Still, we can’t give up all hope! You just never know with Marat.
If anyone has the chance to see a video in youtube of Marat being interviewed after he won the US Open, with Letterman, you can see that it doesn’t seems like he was enjoying the moment, he even said that he was playing tennis because his parents make him do it, he was very uncomfortable in the interview, he explained that he had little sleep because after he won, there was a lot of press and a little bit of celebration, in contrast if you see the interview of Letterman with Roger, he is so happy, so cooperative with Dave, see it, please.
Interesting! Yeah, I can’t imagine Roger ever saying he’d rather be someplace without tennis. The only similar comment that I can remember coming from Roger recently is “thank God the hardcourt season is over.” And in terms of his results, he was right!
I’ve been enjoying your LA Open coverage a lot, especially the Pete-Safin live coverage on twitter.. Thanks muchly!
“Just interviewed Edberg, Chang and Courier all at once! Someone help me – what’s the Major total?”
awesome! when are you gonna post about it? Can’t wait.
Hi Arun!
Glad you are enjoying the coverage and thanks as always for reading.
I’m working on my piece on the three “Legends” today. They had some great things to say about the state of the game and Federer/Nadal.
Thank you.
i will miss marat very much, and i am hoping that he will get to hear something from him after he retires or he will miss tennis very much and decide to play again ( i am keeping my fingers crossed) watching him play tennis is like watching someone breath life into the game, he makes it more interesting…. i am too tired to read about his impending retirement too ( coz it will only makes me cry, i am still in the denial stage about it)
thanks for posting freakyfrites, and please keep on posting about him.