I wasn't a party animal, says Marat Safin
In an interview to Socrates Magazine, the former world No. 1 Marat Safin denied he was a party animal during his playing days. "People who say it are the ones who never won anything. They are losers. I was never the No. 1 in the night session", said Safin.
He also had a tough time coping with the competition on a mental level: "I suffered a lot because I was not fit. I had to control myself."
His coaches Ion Tiriac and Andrey Chesnokov made him notice his bad character several times at the beginning of his career. Safin's character did not completely change, but he eventually had success. "I did not have self-belief at all. But they kind of challenged me and they managed to motivate me on a human level and tennis-wise."
There are a lot of anecdotes about his life. After his 2005 US Open triumph, he celebrated in a big disco, and also Lenny Kravitz was there. "I do not really manage to remember that celebration, but my family keeps telling me how unbelievable that night was. Drinking a lot of alcohol makes you feel like a hero." After sleeping for just an hour, Safin had to release a lot of interviews the day after his biggest success ever.
Safin's post-retirement days have been pretty calm lately. He just enjoys his life going out, he has no girlfriends and sometimes trains to play senior tour matches.
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2TXO31G
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