From an interview with Kafelnikov, a multiple-Slam champion, conducted by B92’s Saša Ozmo before the men’s semifinals at Roland Garros.
On Russian tennis, more successful of late on the WTA side:
“It’s much easier to produce top female players than top male players for many reasons. Young guys don’t have that spark and don’t believe they can reach the top—but I hope that we’ll see a change with Andrey Rublev. He was the best junior last year, is still only 17 years old, and is getting better all the time. He’s growing and becoming more mature—hopefully, he’ll be the one we’ve long sought. He has a champion’s attitude, which is very important, plays aggressively, is good from the baseline, and has nice technique. I told him and his team that he needs to work on his physical strength, because he plays a great set but then runs out of energy. He’ll be a very good player if he gets stronger.”
On the possibility of coaching:
“If I see potential and the project appeals, then I might agree. Coaching is a lot of work, which is clear from former colleagues like Becker, Ivanišević… I see them often, but don’t ask about the details—I don’t think that’s relevant. However, I observe how they’re handling it and it seems to me they’re happy and doing a good job. The players they’re training listen to them and respect them; if I find something like that, maybe I’ll become a coach, too.”
On the ATP, then & now:
“I have no regrets at all about retiring early [in 2003, a few months before turning 30]. Honestly, I can’t explain how players are still capable of playing in their later years—Federer is soon 34 and still playing at a high level. I think the reason for this is that today’s average level of play is much lower than in our time. Actually, I talked to Boris about it only a few days ago, and he agreed. So, the best can keep enjoying it and winning Grand Slam titles, since no one else can come close. In our time, there were 15-20 guys who could potentially win a Grand Slam trophy, but it’s not so right now.”
“The whole approach is different. In our era, there were many more styles of play than exist now: there were serve-volley players, a lot of ‘chip & charge.’ Now, for the most part, everyone plays from the baseline and tries to strike the ball as hard as he can. This isn’t the direction tennis should go—I think we need different modes of play. But nothing’s likely to change if we don’t do something about the courts. It seems to me that every tournament is played on the same [speed] surface—even Wimbledon is now similar to concrete. If that doesn’t change, the situation will remain as it is.”
On Nadal’s future:
After the Spaniard’s victory over Djoković in the 2014 Roland Garros final, Kafelnikov made a bold forecast: that it was the last trophy for Nadal in Paris. He maintains that position. “So far, my prognosis is accurate. I love Rafa—he’s a great guy, an excellent tennis player, and has achieved much success. However, last year I felt (for the first time) that he’s becoming physically weaker. In previous years, he played much closer to the baseline, and now it’s different, especially in the match with Novak—Djoković was inside the court and dictating the pace while Rafa stood four meters back. The trend continues: Rafa is already 29 and can’t beat opponents by outrunning them, particularly in best-of-five matches. Along with that, it doesn’t feel like there’s the same intimidation factor in the air—players aren’t afraid of Rafa any more. So, I stand by my prediction. While I’d like it to happen, I’d be shocked if Rafa wins another Grand Slam trophy.”
On his career & retirement:
“It feels good when I look back on it. I was lucky that I caught different eras, playing with Becker and Edberg, then with Agassi and Sampras, and even Federer after that. In fact, I competed with three generations of top players, so I’m very satisfied with my career and what I achieved.”
Having dabbled in professional poker in the first years after leaving tennis, Kafelnikov has since found another pastime. “Poker is my past, but I try to play golf as much as possible, to see how good I can become. It’s my daily life—I play golf every day for four to six hours.”
~ Translated from Serbian by Ana Mitrić.
Tennis Translations 