Marat Safin almost played the last match of his career yesterday, fighting past three match points to beat the 168 ranked Thierry Ascione at the Paris Masters. After that close call, Marat told the ATP that he wants “to retire with dignity.” He also said that it won’t be “too painful” to lose to his next opponent, Juan Martin del Potro. You know it’s time to retire when your interviews start to sound like appeals for euthanasia. Oh, Marat:
Marat was also featured in L’Equipe this week, reminiscing as only Marat can on the various high/lowlights of his career. Thanks to the folks at Mens Tennis Forum for posting and translating – I’ve posted some snippets below, click here for more.
Photo via L’Equipe via Mens Tennis Forum
On beating Pete Sampras in the 2000 US Open final:
“The match changed my life. Everything was new for me. It allowed me to become world number 1 a few weeks later but I wasn’t ready to handle the pressure. In the evening at the bar, I was still nervous. I had to drink a few vodkas to calm down, to come back down. I was too young. Nobody could guide me. Such a big thing engages your secret feelings, your own weaknesses. It’s not the kind of thing you can share with anyone. I didn’t feel good in my own skin. I didn’t enjoy myself as much as I should have.”
“Vodka!”
Part 2, just for the heck of it:
Whisky! Marat on his 2007 mountaineering misadventure:
“I was tired of tennis. I want to escape the circuit. Some of my friends were going to hike in Tibet and I asked if I could go with them. We managed to reach Cho You (at about 4000m), that was our camp, but I had headaches. They went on to reach the summit but I gave up. I had not taken any pills with me. I thought myself an athlete but I never had thought I could feel so bad. The only thing that helped was whisky. When you take a sip, you feel better for a couple of hours. The pressure and the headache go away. But it comes back, more painful. How much whisky would I have needed to drink in a month?“
Marat-the-Mountaineer via TennisInfoBlog
On retirement:
“I think that I am at the best age to retire. I have no family, no kids, I’m still young and I can discover new things. When you are older, there are many things you can’t do anymore like studying. He has a family, a daughter. We all have our way to deal with life. I would like to study law, just the basics to have the keys to do well in the business world, to have a better understanding of the working world.”
Here’s Safin trying out some of his amateur legal skills on a chair umpire – the famous “cigar and two chicks” argument:
On nemesis and fellow-retiree Fabrice Santoro:
“Fabrice, it seems he’s been around since 1800!”
On breaking his racquets:
“I must have broken 500 or 600 rackets in my career. When you think about it, many players who used the (HEAD) Prestige broke their rackets. Alonso, Ivanisevic, Arazi… These racquets are too fragile.”
Here’s an 8 minute long video of Marat and his racquets, if you have a racquet abuse fetish:
Marat Safin, who sided with Gasquet in his recent recreational drug troubles with the ATP, has taken a hard line against Andre Agassi and his drug test cover-up (via tennis.com):
“OK, so he feels guilty? Then he should give back his titles, his money and his Grand Slams. If he’s about fair play, he should go all the way. You know, the ATP have a bank account, he can pay them back if he wants to. I’m not defending the ATP, but what he said puts them in a bad position. The ATP allowed him to win lots of tournaments and lots of money and kept his secret, so why be bad to them?“
“Me, I don’t need money,” he said. “The question is: Why did he do this? What is done is done. Does he hope to sell more books? It’s absolutely stupid.“
Here’s Marat winning a “classic” against a post-meth Agassi at the 2004 Australian Open:
Safin plays Del Potro tomorrow in an afternoon match in Paris.
Tags: agassi, ATP, Bercy, Paris Masters, Safin, tennis
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It amazes me how the “press” want to make Mr Safin out as a hypocrite in saying that Agassi should return the prize money/titles he won whilst under the influence of drugs. Agassi failed a drug test and lied to the ATP who chose to be naive when it came to accepting his lame excuse.
Gasquet on the other hand was suppose to be at a Night Club and a lot of things goes on in these types of environments. He should have known better and been more careful whilst having fun.
Mr Safin at least you are being honest unlike other tennis players who are attempting to play it smart and be naive. Or even supporting Agassi when he has obviously a guilty conscience and still class him as their idol. He is an absolute disgrace.
Mr Safin enjoy your retirement and don’t do anything stupid, eg publishing a book like Agassi because somethings are better left unsaid!!!
It’s not that Marat’s a hypocrite – it’s just that Gasquet’s defense is about as lame as Agassi’s was (drinking from someone’s glass/kissing someone who did cocaine) I have no idea if Gasquet is covering something up, and honestly I don’t care – a 2 year ban for recreational drug use is ridiculous – but it would be ironic for Safin to defend one fibber (assuming Gasquet was fibbing) while being overly harsh with another.
And he is definitely being too harsh – Agassi shouldn’t give up his prize money and titles. For whatever damage he’s done to the ATP with this admission, he’s done infinitely more good in promoting the game.
[On my soapbox]
When you’re asked about something over and over, eventually you’ll come out with an off-the-cuff remark, well at least I do. I am not Marat Safin. (But I love Marat Safin.)
Marat’s been asked about something that annoyed him for the umpteenth time, and came out with ‘If dude feels so bad about it, maybe dude should give back the ca$h.’(Paraphrased a little, ahem.)
I don’t think Marat said this and meant it literally, it’s rhetorical. He and most tennis fans are just gobsmacked that Agassi has come out with this now and for what reason? To promote his book. Even though Agassi will remain a liked and respected ambassador for tennis, his legacy has taken a bruising, so forgive his fans and peers if they’re smarting from his revelation and asking a few questions.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. There’s a reason this was hidden at the time, would Agassi be held in the high esteem he is were he to have been convicted of doping?
As for supporting Gasquet, Marat was hardly a one man army defending him. He was however the biggest name to come out and say ‘give the kid a chance to explain’. Now that he has explained Marat hasn’t come out fighting his corner.
I think a little known tennis player called Rafael Nadal put it best yesterday when he said: “I have confidence in my colleagues and in other players. I always believe they’re clean. Until the results tell me otherwise, I’m going to defend my friends.” Having quoted Rafa I seem to have shot myself in the foot, owee ow ow…
[Shot off my own soapbox]
Marat’s mistakes here are for having an opinion, being charasmatic and being Marat Safin – and thanks to this killer combination he makes for beautiful sound bites.
Awesome article F.F. love it all! Safinilicious. Look forward to the next chapter: ‘Marat Safin, Attorney at Law’. Now if only Marat would join forces with Mario Ancic and set up a law firm / reality show….oh the mind boggles…
Well written! I thought so too but you put it very well (.. I’m too lazy to write anything longer than one paragraph — so much for a candidate for ghostwriter for Marat’s autobio).
The law thing is new info — in the court room, the different side from him will be overshadowed by his personality and look (pls Marat maintain the look), judge and jury will be drooling.
Marat – you should reconsider writing autobiography – it will as great as James Bond of tennis (vodka, blondes, etc.)
I refuse to believe Marat is leaving us. Marat could beat Del Potro like he did Djokovic in the 2nd round of Wimbledon. Who am I kidding? Del Potro will win. Sigh… well now that Marat is going to be a lawyer looks like I’m going to have to get myself in some legal trouble!
Ahhhh – brilliant idea, JFK! Be careful on those tough Moscow streets, ya hear?
Awesome article FF! Thanks.
Now for the serious stuff, jsut how insanely handsome was Marat on the Letterman show aged 20?! OMG. And he got even better with age! Here’s hoping Rafa will do the same
Marat was a player of a kind that you don’t see anymore (except Djokovic). He had a great personality and also a lot of angst and rage that sometimes he couldn’t control. But he played like the best and his interviews will be always the most interesting, so funny, insightful and honest at the same time. A true character and a great personality and a brilliant player. We’ll always love you Marat! You will be greatly missed!