Tommy Robredo knows what he wants and enjoys every moment
In this exclusive interview we got to know Robredo as a talented hard working player, who is grateful for the possibilities he has in live and who enjoys them to the fullest. “It’s very important to keep doing what you like and I’m enjoying it so much. I think that’s the whole thing. I like my live day by day and keep going!” As a five year old Tommy Robredo began playing tennis. While he trained mostly on hard court till the age of fourteen, he considers clay his best underground. That isn’t surprising of course, looking at his steady game plan. As a junior he reached the finals at Roland Garros in 2001, becoming the best junior in Spain that same year. Currently he has won 12 ATP single titles, of which Umag (2013) is the most recent one. The defending champion tells us about ‘this snake’ moving around in his body before playing exciting matches, about his own foundation, his comeback in 2012 and his goals. He also gives tips for young talented players dreaming of becoming a professional tennis player.
Staying on top of the game
“Staying at the top of something is always difficult, whether it is in sports or in business. I’m doing what I like and what I’m good at. Every day, I just keep trying to improve. My hobby became my profession and I’m fit. So, I’m a lucky guy. I hope to be able to live like this a few more years. I wouldn’t like watching myself working for a boss telling me what to do. Now I’m the boss and I do what I want, what I like and it’s lovely.” What he has learned compared to the Tommy who just entered the ATP tour? “Well, I don’t know. Obviously I have experience, because I have been on the tour for many years. And maybe I also enjoy it a lot more on court than a couple of years ago. When I was injured and not able to play, I realized what it meant not being able to play and now I appreciate it even more.”
“I wouldn’t like watching myself with a boss telling me what to do. Now I’m the boss and I do what I want and what I like. It’s lovely.”
Back to Challengers
In 2012 Robredo fell outside the top 100 for the first time in years due to a leg injury. He is convinced that playing Challengers was the best way to come back to the top. “For somebody who played in the ATP tour for 11 years it’s not easy to suddenly play challengers again and deal with the pressure on court. I just went out there and kept on fighting and fighting. Playing challengers was helping me to play many matches, to get fit and be ready for the tour again.” The Spaniard never thought about quitting. “During the training sessions I played perfect, but I didn’t have a lot of confidence yet. When I started to win matches again, I got the confidence to win more matches and was able to return and play on the highest level again.”
“To be nervous while waiting to go inside the court to play a final is great! There is no money you can pay for this feeling.”
A little snake in your stomach
2013 turned out to be a wonderful year for the passionate tennis player, winning two titles again: Casablanca and Umag. “Even though I’ve been a professional for 15 years and have won 12 titles, playing finals is never easy. There are only a few moments in your career where there is a trophy involved. It’s lovely to play a final, to be nervous while waiting to go inside the court. There is no money you can pay for this feeling.” When Robredo feels the pressure the most? Definitely at the locker room. “Then you have this thing moving around, this little snake in your stomach that keeps going and going. On such a day, my body is not stupid and knows that I’m going to play a final. After a couple of years I enjoy it and know how to handle it. Because in the end of a live time tennis career, you don’t have those moments with that snake anymore. I realized that it’s great to have it, because it means you’re doing a good job, having a great moment. Then I just go inside the stadium and do my best, not feeling the pressure so much on court. When you are in a final, it’s just important to win, whether you play good or bad. When you come home to recover you can think through what you did good and what you want to practice.”
“After a couple of years I enjoy the tension and know how to handle it. Because in the end of a live time tennis career, you don’t have those moments with that snake anymore.”
When was this snake moving the fastest? “When I played my first tournament after the injury. I went to play a Challenger, playing a guy who was 200 in the world. I couldn’t even breath. I couldn’t move. I was feeling very nervous. I’ll never forget that feeling, it wasn’t a snake, it was more like an elephant. I didn’t know if I could win. When I was in the final again the snake went away and I did destroy my opponent.”
Different tactics for different surfaces
“Clay is my favourite surface, but it’s important to play well on all surfaces. Obviously when you play on hard court you have to play a little different than when you play on clay. On hard court I have to take a little more risk. I try to volley a little bit and to win as much points as possible. I’m a stable player, not doing something different with the ball on every point. I play to win every point.”
“If your opponent wants to win a match, he always has to win the last point.”
Mental straight
It’s never easy to win a match of the mentally strong Spaniard. At Roland Garros in 2013 he was the second player ever to come back from two sets down in three Grand Slam matches in a row. “I always fight till the end. If your opponent wants to win a match, he always has to win the last point. Perhaps that some other players don’t fight that much when they are two sets down. I don’t know. But I really want to win and always try to come back.” How he sees the proposition between the technical, tactical, physical en mental aspect of the game? Is one aspect more important than the other? “Obviously, the mental aspect is the most important thing. In the end, we are all physically good, but mentally we are all different. Of course technique is important, but when you’re fit and out there, the most important thing is to win matches and play a couple of tournaments very well. And that’s mentally not easy.” The most beautiful moment in his career so far? “I don’t know. Winning of Federer at the US Open in 2013 was an amazing moment of course. I’m happy that it happened, because I can say that at least once in my live I won of a guy like him. Further, qualifying for Shanghai, winning in Hamburg and in my home town Barcelona. There are a couple of good tournaments and matches that I will remember for a long time.”
“My friend Santi Silvas died seven years ago without having been able to actually organize such a tournament. Now, I’m very happy to have it in our hometown.”
Caring for others: Tommy Robredo Foundation
Robredo is very thankful for the live he lives and wants to help others with his ‘Tommy Robredo Foundation’. This foundation supports training facilities (mainly wheelchair tennis) for people with a disability and organizes an international wheelchair tennis tournament: the ‘Santi Silvas Open’ in Olot (Spain). “This foundation exists six years now. I started with my friend Santi Silvas who was in a wheel chair. He died seven years ago in 2008 without having been able to actually organize such a tournament. I wanted to keep going and started with some other friends. Everything went well and I’m very happy to have this tournament in our hometown. For now we really focus on organizing a good tournament, because I’m running all over the world. In the future we’ll try to do more things.”
Golden tips
What it takes to reach the top? “If you want to do something really good in live and be successful you need some talent of course. After that you need to have a good group of people around you that can help you. And after that you need to have a lot of power, opportunities and you need to be passionate about it and try to enjoy every moment. You really have to try, if you’re not really trying you won’t have a chance.”
“My goal is always the same: try to enjoy every tournament and to win as many matches as possible.”
Always do your best
This Spanish tennis player does not care so much about rankings. “My goal is always the same. I try to enjoy every tournament and to win as many matches as possible. It is good to play and always do your best and in the end of the year you will see where you’ll end up. If you expect to finish on a certain position, you may feel a little more pressure. If you just go out there and play your best, you’ll improve. You’ll play better and you’ll see nothing else that the ball and the court.”
Tommy’s Future dream
“My dream? Always to be healthy and to have a family. And when I finish my career, I want to be able to say that I enjoyed it as much as I could and that I won as many matches as possible.” For now this includes enjoying the Vegeta Croatia Open. The defending champion confirms that this tournament is very good. Everything you need is nearby. There are no long drives in big cities, a driver any time you want and good food. Umag is one of the tournament in the end of the year, you prefer to play. There are places where people make you feel at home and Umag is such a place.”
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