TMS - MADRID

October 14, 2003

Fernando Vicente

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

FERNANDO VICENTE: First of all, I want to say that I've had news today and yesterday through some photocopies in the training rooms, and I was very surprised. I want to ask you, because my family is really surprised by the way journalists have involved me in the subject where I'm not involved. I played the tournament I had to play. And this subject has really, really surprised me. My telephone line is full. They're calling me from Valencia because of how journalists have told this story. I only went there to play a tournament. I'm not happy the way journalists have treated the subject. Everyone thinks now I'm involved in strange things, where I'm not. I only went there, played a tennis tournament, tennis match, and if it's Kafelnikov the one that is involved, why is my name there in the millionaires bets?

FERNANDO VICENTE: But the photocopies I had talks about Vicente.

FERNANDO VICENTE: I cannot talk about the subject, because actually I don't know how bets work, on what amount can be involved in betting. But if I read, "Fernando Vicente is involved in betting," that's something I don't like because I don't gamble. I don't like betting. I've received 20 phone calls because of the way some of the journalists write articles. At home, they're amazed. My dad is really angry, really sad. He wanted me to call him because of the thing he read in the newspaper. I want to repeat once more that I am not involved in this betting stuff. I beat him. I beat him twice. If Kafelnikov was not good enough during the match, that's not my problem. That's the only thing I want to say. If this gentleman asks me what I think about the bet, I would like to tell him to ask Kafelnikov, not me, because I have nothing to do with this. This morning I didn't understand anything when I read the news. I don't really like the way news is written because my phone has been ringing and ringing. I want somebody to explain all this. Because, I repeat, some of you write things as if I'm really involved. The fact is sometimes players just retire because that thing happens in sports. It's just luck. It's just a matter of good or bad luck. I just had to play. I got there. There was a draw. Luck made me play with Kafelnikov. I played. That's all. That's what we have here. So, please...

FERNANDO VICENTE: I'm not going to do anything. And if I'm speaking now, it's because my family is really, really upset. Look, I love tennis. I win a lot of money when I win. I don't think a tennis player like Kafelnikov, who wins and earns a lot of money, needs to go on betting. If someone needs to prove there's bets going on, prove it. I'm not involved.

FERNANDO VICENTE: Look, if you read the newspaper, maybe even if it's in English.

FERNANDO VICENTE: In English I actually have read something about me. "Vicente hits hard," something like that. Something where you can understand I'm involved.

FERNANDO VICENTE: Look, if my mother calls me at home at night, completely upset, doesn't matter which newspaper it is, because it was said on radio, it was said on TV. If my mom is crying because she sees her child involved in betting stuff, because Kafelnikov's name was not there. Today I haven't read the newspaper. I had a doubles match. But my dad called me from the bank and asked me to phone him back and give an explanation. I've had no time to keep on reading. But, as I'm telling you, my household was very upset.

FERNANDO VICENTE: But why do people say I'm involved in London and betting in tennis matches? Why do you write my name if I'm involved? It's only a circumstance that I played with Kafelnikov. For me, the fact of saying, "Fernando Vincente is involved in betting," if it's in the newspaper, my family is upset, my friends, too. The way things are written, I know what you pretend.

FERNANDO VICENTE: You're making a lot of damage to a tennis player. Press does things, and TV tells things about Fernando Vicente being involved in betting. How can you explain that?