Huge thanks to Karine579 on MTF for translating the interview with Richard in today's L'Equipe Magazine...
(The original French version is over on the French articles thread)
After your semi-final at the US Open, your coach Ricardo Piatti was happy to say you « send a message to the lockers”. It’s not your type to send a message, is it?
The messages, I send them to myself and Piatti, he can say what he wants (laughs)! If he’s happy I’m sending messages to the lockers then good. It’s true that tennis is an intimidation sport and it’s important to have the perception of a player who holds on. We know what happens with Nadal for example. When you enter the court, you can be sure he’s not going to let anything pass. It’s your job to not be impressed by that. I’ve done it during the US Open, thanks to the lessons I’d learned after my defeat at Roland-Garros.
You have to put yourself in the alpha-male position?
Of course, in tennis you need to have a big personality and show it, like in boxing. An alpha male attitude, like those of Nadal or Djokovic, it’s not insignificant in a confrontation. In tennis, you cannot afford to arrive and to look down, to act like a little boy. No, it’s doesn’t work! I have a big personality but not as big as them, not even as big as Tsonga’s. They show very big confidence. Everybody has to be himself but I need to tend towards that. You need to have ego. You can’t be good at tennis if you don’t have a strong self-confidence and if you don’t think you’re the best. Me, I have it in me, but other players have it more.
At Flushing Meadows, you appeared like freed from your fears…
Yes, because the others, the best, they are not scared. The first 8, and Jo, when you need to make the point, they go for it! They ‘get into it”. There are players that go for it and there are players that wait for it. “Going for it” is another expression. In practice, you need to have a strong potential and the technical qualities to do it. In the 200th, the players hit hard on everything and it doesn’t work. At my level, I try to go forward on the ball and to put it back on the court! There are still some balls that I have to finish better. It’s a sum of things that I need to gain, whereas for Nadal and Djokovic, it’s already done.
In semi-finals at the US Open, you were quite close to Nadal but he won again (6-4/7-6/6-2)…
Yes, there were some good stuff except at the end, Nadal won 3 sets to none! A good match ok, some good tactics yes, some nice exchanges, but a defeat in 3 sets. He’s the only one I never beat on the circuit. I would like to do that at least once before I stop! He respects me but in the meantime, he often wins 3 or 3 sets to love. It’s a big motivation for me because it’s annoying to not be able to win against him. Even if in 5 or 6 years he will be considered the biggest player in history because he’ll probably have beaten Federer’s record in Grand Chelem. I need to be sharper. Idem to beat Djokovic. You need to be able to hit the ball hard, to have a huge serve and to not let them play too much. To be better than I am today.
To do that, you need to be in a great physical condition but you often said “I don’t have the physical aptitudes of a Nadal or a Djokovic”…
And I still don’t have them, the physical aptitudes of Nadal! But you need to remember that him and Djokovic are extraordinary athletes! In terms of physical condition, we are at a level never reached in tennis history. There were never a player that was able to balance that much power with that much ability to recover like Nadal and Djokovic. I don’t have complexes; I think I have a great physical condition. The problem doesn’t come from me, but from the players in front of me that are monstruous.
In Roland Garros Wawrinka said, after he beat you, that even 2 sets to love, there was a way to win against you because you could give up physically. Did that upset you?
No. I’m not going to say I was happy about that but he was right after all, he beat me. Congrats to him.
Are you working harder than before on the physical aspect?
I’ve always worked on my physical condition despite everything that was sad about me on this topic. Let’s say that before, I was playing more tennis thanI was doing cardio whereas now it’s 50/50. It’s the cardio added to the motivation to go further that defines everything. The talent is there, I’ve always had it but it’s not enough. I’ve been 9th or 10th for several months, it’s not easy to go further, but I try to find solutions to succeed. I find it very motivating; it’s a beautiful challenge to try to go further. Tennis is a sport where you need to think every day. It’s psychological, technical, physical. Physically, I’m good. But I can be better in the game. I can move more into the ball. I’m sometimes too passive. And I see that the best players are never passive. My game is a little less stereotyped than other players I guess but the best share a constant: they go forward on the court and I need to do it more if I want to level with them.
You’re looking for a way to mend one of your weaknesses?
Yes we could say that. We could also say that I’m 10th and still perfectible. I went through different steps. I’ve been back at a very good level for a couple of years and in the ATP ranking. In 2007, I was 7th in the world, it was wonderful but I was young. In 2008 I suffered the backlash from that and in 2009 there was this story with Miami. It was the extreme limit. Ma career barely made it out. People were talking to me about it every day, all day long. It was absolutely unbearable. I couldn’t go out in the street. During that time, others were improving without me and mentally it was hard to recover. It was especially that that hurt me.
What started the positive process we know you have today?
When I started working with Sebastien and Ricardo, in 2011, I guess. It helped me a lot. But it’s a sum of things.
Did you have a desire for revenge?
No, just the desire for myself to go as far as possible. I never had a revenge spirit. It’s not what motivates me. I’m the first one to say I have an amazing life and I find myself very lucky to be where I am. The fact that I haven’t taken the next step yet isn’t due to a lack of motivation but at the time, which isn’t easy. The Top 5 never was that strong.
When you had a match point against you, against Raonic, were you scared you’ll lose for the 16th time in 1/8 finals?
Yes it was a weight of course! People tell you about it every time and, even for yourself, it’s difficult to put it aside. I was so close to qualification for a quarter finals at Roland Garros this year, against Wawrinka, by doing a big match. I was just lacking luck. This opportunity, I should have taken it. It wasn’t the case but I told myself: “No way this is happening twice in the same season”. Against Raonic, it was close but this was about who had been the most serious during the year, who had the biggest will to win, who trained more, who hold on more on each point. Me, I haven’t give up on a game all season so at some point you tell yourself, deep inside, “this one is for me”.
You would have been criticized if you had lost again in 1/8…
They would have say: “look at him, he stops in 1/8 finals again! A 16th time” When I went back to France after my semi-finals at the US Open, everybody said “Congrats, it’s amazing how you improved!” If I had lost, I would have been “the bad one”. You go back and forth everyday between being “terrible” and “very good”. You go up and down in people’s esteem. You need to forget about it and only do your thing, what will make you feel good and allow you to have the confidence to go forward. On that level, I improved a lot.
Do you take criticism better than before?
People told me everything, I was scrutinized a lot, judged, criticized. For someone like me, who only wanted to play tennis without especially attract the spotlight, stay simple like I’ve always been, I’ve had a story with a succession of events that parasitized a career that I would have wanted “normal”. There was this cover of “Tennis Magazine” at 9; maybe I shouldn’t have accepted but at the time, you couldn’t have foreseen the consequences. Because of that, I was put in the spotlight. At 16, I entered the circuit very strong and it didn’t do me any good. I play unbelievably well at Monaco. It was 11 years ago already. I don’t know why it fell on me to play this well, this young, in front of everybody, but it shaped a destiny for which I wasn’t prepared at all. With all these spotlights focused on me, I grew up uncomfortably. It kind of slowed down my mental blossoming. I felt the pressure, anxiety behind me. I needed to win. This image of Mozart, really, it was crazy!
Were you scared of being taken for an imposter? To not be the Mozart everybody waited for?
I don’t know what it was but when you’re young, to improve, you need to be left alone. You can’t have this pressure behind you all the time. It’s not possible to stay sane.
Do you think that in another country, it would have been easier?
If you are Spanish, it’s easier. A lot of players won Grand Slams or were n°1 in the early 2000. Me, I live it so painfully until I was 18, I was about to stop playing tennis. I wasn’t well until I started playing with Eric (Deblicker).
Was it the reason you were so introverted in public?
Absolutely. And then, even when I played well, I stayed introverted because of this image of being extremely gifted I was never able to shake off. At an early age, I was worried people might think I was big headed but I don’t have this problem anymore. With 10 years of experience, I know exactly how people and journalists work. I can anticipate everything they’ll say after every one of my matches. They’ll praise my result and then “break” me, it’s like that. Today, it leaves me indifferent.
Do you fully embrace you ambitions now?
Yes. But especially because I’m capable of doing what I did at the US Open again. I know, I feel it didn’t happen by chance.
To play a Grand Slam final, do you think it’s possible?
Yes. But the big problem today is that you need to win against Nadal or Djokovic in the semis!
Inscrit le: Feb 01, 2006 Messages: 5146 Localisation: Vienne, Autriche
Posté le: 26.10.2013, 17:35:30 Sujet du message:
Absolutely gorgeous, this interview. I have never read anything like that before, so much serious self-reflection while staying modest and ambitious at the same time. Well done.
Fanatastic appointment by Richard. Having Seb and now a gland slam former no.3 in your camp is got to mean progress. Bruguera seems like an intelligent person who is experienced, enthusiastic and knows how to help Richard maximise his game. Sergi will help Richard technically, mentally and i wouldn't be suprised if Richard gets physically stronger and fitter in particular.
Inscrit le: Oct 27, 2006 Messages: 963 Localisation: USA
Posté le: 07.12.2013, 22:14:45 Sujet du message:
Puschkin a écrit:
Absolutely gorgeous, this interview. I have never read anything like that before, so much serious self-reflection while staying modest and ambitious at the same time. Well done.
OMG yes, what a great interview and whoever did the translation did an excellent job as I felt, reading the interview, this was Richard.
I'm so looking forward to next year and hope it will be another great one for Richard.
Inscrit le: Oct 27, 2006 Messages: 963 Localisation: USA
Posté le: 11.12.2013, 14:32:10 Sujet du message:
Great Gasquet won this match and hopefully a win against Goffin tonight. I did not see the match and could not find a link online. If anyone knows where I can watch it please share the link - thanks.
Great Gasquet won this match and hopefully a win against Goffin tonight. I did not see the match and could not find a link online. If anyone knows where I can watch it please share the link - thanks.
Good luck Richard tonight
Hi - the Mahut match was not televised, but the final against Goffin will be:
Thanks to mj1884 on the French forum for the link:
(The match is at 20.15hr French time on Wednesday)
Edit - the Caen website says a 20.00hr start - it probably will still be around 20.15hrs by the time they come onto court and warm up etc, but just so you know!
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That´s really news !!! Why Sergi Bruguera ? Spanish and french relationship . OK. Wait and see 
