Is there something particular that your folks or your loved ones or your staff advised you?
No—everybody was simply very pleased with how I dealt with the state of affairs: how I performed tennis, sure, but additionally how I dealt with the state of affairs after the loss. The one factor I wished to do after that was to return house to my dad and mom and keep there and encompass myself once more with mates. That’s precisely how I felt once I first left house once I was 13 years outdated [to train full-time for tennis], and I used to be looking out once more for these sort of emotions.
Do I perceive it proper that at the moment, whenever you had been 13 and also you determined to depart house to pursue tennis, you had been truly solely enjoying possibly twice per week?
In the summertime, sure—in winter, I used to be solely enjoying as soon as per week, possibly; there have been weeks the place I didn’t play in any respect, as a result of I used to be snowboarding after which I used to be enjoying indoor soccer with my mates. I by no means actually performed tennis till I used to be mainly 12 years outdated, however then I put away the skis and began to play extra soccer and likewise extra tennis. However I by no means had one full week of follow—I had two or three classes every week. I additionally by no means used to go to the gymnasium, as a result of I used to be all the time in nature.
It’s simply superb to me.
I lived my childhood how I wished to, and that is additionally due to my dad and mom, who gave me the likelihood to ski and play tennis—and I come from a traditional household. As I stated earlier, we by no means would’ve considered within the place we’re in now. It’s all very stunning, nonetheless, for all of us.
Does coming to tennis so comparatively late imply that whenever you had been very younger, your childhood sports activities desires had nothing to do with tennis? Did you dream about scoring the game-winning aim within the World Cup—or profitable the downhill snowboarding gold at Kitzbühel or one thing?
No—once I was younger, my dream was all the time to develop into a Formulation 1 driver, however we by no means had cash, and we understood straightaway that Formulation 1 is so costly, so we didn’t even strive. It was fully inconceivable to even assume it. Later, once I began enjoying tennis, you can say my dream was to win some tournaments on the professional tour or no matter, however that was simply not sensible: It was only a dream, not a aim. I by no means stated my aim was to develop into primary on the planet; almost definitely, that might solely be a dream. It was not sensible in my head.
