ATP TOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

November 15, 1993

Andrei Medvedev

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Russian.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: (inaudible) I live in Ukraine.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Kiev.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I don't know.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It was one of the things that I wanted to reach at the end of the year. And at the moment, my goal is not to (inaudible) not just to be here, but to play well. That is what I will try to do. It is perfect opportunity for me to play against the best and I will (inaudible)--

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I feel a little bit uncomfortable because of there -- so much attention that the players get, but maybe in three days I will get used to it and besides, when you get on the court, it is the same. It is a matter of tennis. The only thing different you only see the (inaudible) you don't see -- you only see (inaudible)

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I like it. I like it a lot, actually. I wish I could come back every year. But you cannot -- you cannot say (inaudible) but so far, I like it here.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: (inaudible) I haven't been there for a while.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yes.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Not at home. I will be on vacation. I will be vacationing. Maybe time when the Grand Slam cups I have my preparation (inaudible) I will not be able to come to (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yes.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is hard to say because (inaudible) maybe sometimes you don't because--

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is hard to say because tennis became to be so fast that maybe sometimes you don't see it very, very attractive game because you only see aces and lots of mistakes and unforced errors, but it is not because the players already getting weak. It is because the level of the game is so high. I think if they maybe changed the rulings somehow, then, let us say, (inaudible) or they make the net higher, then maybe it would be interesting, but (inaudible) as far -- I don't see any -- I don't know any solutions because the game is so fast at the moment that you cannot -- sometimes you don't enjoy it. Sometimes I watch the tennis on television myself and I find it boring. I only look for the players who is playing just to see the tactical moves. But not because I enjoy the game. Hopefully -- I have no solutions.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: The level of the tennis is just too high that you cannot give up your concentration, but I know the players, they would like to do it, but they just don't do it because (inaudible) they don't feel like -- and they don't feel like doing it -- that they feel like the people already seen it and they don't want to see it again or something like this. They maybe afraid to show it (inaudible) in-- sometimes I feel like doing funny things, but I don't do it because, you know, because I don't -- because the people probably would not accept it.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Saturday. (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No. I thought about it but when I really thought it I have to play now in Frankfurt Saturday, two days.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: At the beginning of this year it was a dream. It wasn't something that I felt I can reach, but I reached it, so I am proud of the work that I have done with my coach and (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I would say I need to improve my physical condition a lot and serve and volley. I need to learn.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It just actually was completely finished with the four matches that I played before I was physically tired and mentally tired because it is the first time that I played indoors so successful and to me it was something new. It was something that I never been before and in the finals, it was -- I was out of the game and it showed me of course that you have a good serve, you can play better.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Absolutely.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yes. Now I feel very good.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No. Just same, but maybe more consistent. I will try to.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is not because of that.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No. (inaudible) I know exactly what happened.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I wouldn't tell. I will not tell. Don't even try.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, but not in the Grand Slam.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Because Grand Slams is a single tournament. It is not doubles.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I'd like to play doubles with her, but not in the Grand Slam. Grand Slam is singles. Doubles is the other tournaments. (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I watched her tournament in Essen and we keep in touch for sure. (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No, it wasn't my goal. But it was a dream. The goal that you -- you set the goal and go for it. It was a dream. (inaudible) here is means a great -- first of all, it means that I have improved a lot since the last year and during this year, and besides, you know, it is an unbelieveable ending of the year. It is great. Really great.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I thought so. I was going -- I had (inaudible) have to say thank you because he gave me the motivation which is hard to -- he gave me the motivation to play and we had unbelievable -- during this week, I qualified (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I need to-- I definitely need to work on my serve and volley game. Besides this, I think (inaudible)--

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Michael had a great year this year. I think he deserve to be No. 3 in the world. I think he has got the game to be No. 3. So you know, I played him on the clay and I lost. I also played (inaudible) hopefully you know, I just want to play and I want the people to enjoy it and maybe if it will be a good match, I will be happy.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Chang? I never played against him. But I think it will be a very difficult match for me because he is covering all the court and you have to show really, really great game.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Jim Courier, same, same like Michael. I mean, -- you have to play very, very strong game, very solid at the baseline. You have to play well. You have to (inaudible) you have to serve, so to win any of those players, I would be happy to win any. (inaudible). But not more than that I would like.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, it is fun. Sure it is fun. So many people, cameras, flashes, you know, I am not ready for this first of all and I think -- it is funny. It is funny. I don't have to get that this -- (inaudible) I am here to play tennis. Not to smile. I am smiling because I am smiling naturally. To me, it seems to be very funny when I go out from this (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I have never spoken German.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, it is.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: My coach was telling me that I can make it, I can make it, but I wasn't really sure about that because it was a child dream. And being here shows me that you know, I have proved my tennis which is very important to me, and it also shows me I can do even better than I normally think I can. So being here showed me that my education was in the beginning of the year.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Absolutely. Because I don't think that the level of my game is so high that I don't even-- that I am not sure enough. Is that what you mean?

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Because for me it was-- I realized somewhere deep inside that I can make it, sure, I had the faith in myself, but you know, to make it, to make it finally is very something very special, something that you (inaudible) now you have to concentrate on keeping it there. So it is unbelievable --

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Sometimes I feel that I am in full control of the situation no matter what happens, I control it. But many times not especially against the top 10 players. You go on the court and they are the same players like you, even better. So most of the time they control the situation. But --

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Not yet. Pretty soon.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I feel better because at least now I played on them and I know what it is. I know what means hard court and I know what means grass and I know what means indoor. But I would say now -- I would say now I know it. I know (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, sure you have to adjust. I have to be more aggressive on the hard court, more aggressive even more aggressive indoors and has been serve and volley player at the grass.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: To be more aggressive.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I want to show good tennis. I want the people to enjoy my game and I want to win anything. Sure I am not just here as one person. I am -- I want to win for sure. I want to win a few matches and I want to go as far as possible. Both days I would like to show good tennis.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: To forget everything here; to be able to go on the court (inaudible) so many things distract you that sometimes you feel like you want to be home (inaudible) keep getting phone calls, people keep bothering you. I am disappointed (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I have something to lose for sure.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: As I said, if I don't show good tennis I don't feel like I have finished my season right. But I have to lose not order of ranking position or points or money, it is just the feeling inside that I didn't play well and this is that bothers me more. I would like to play good no matter what if I win or lose but I want to go in with the feeling that I played the game; I enjoyed it.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I don't think anyone wants to be stars. I don't think any of the players feels he belongs to the stars. It is just a word that (inaudible) -- there are so many we are ranked and we play a little bit better than that. Not so much better. There are so many other guys (inaudible) something that I just don't really understand, stars. I don't feel, really. To me, it is a joke. It is really a joke.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It's a great place.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is fun.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is a joke. It is fun. Anyway, no matter what I say, they will write what they want. To me it is fun. It is wasting time.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Designer suit. My opinion --

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I thinking about this, but I also want to mention again (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I have my own suits that I feel comfortable with. Look, this is great. If you take-- when you put these colors together, you feel like an idiot. The designer didn't really look. The guy who choose this really, if you were here in Germany, it is okay. When you go to Italy, the people will laugh at you or in France, no? It is okay. Your opinion. Don't get me wrong, people watch as a sponsor of the ATP and maybe they will give me this suit for free and they were kind enough for me to wear it. I cannot refuse it. You get something else, you do something nice with it, besides every player got it and they want to look-- wanted to make everyone look the same and why should I refuse this?

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: You put it on for one hour; then you put back on what you like.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Absolutely. I know my pockets at the moment and I know what I can do and what is very hard for me to do and I know what to expect from myself. I know that what I can expect and what I shouldn't. I can set realistic goals and go for it.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is different. How I can control the situation on the court and how I can play against a few players; how I can cope the pressure of the Grand Slam tournaments; how I can hold the pressure of two tournaments in a row. It has been an unbelievable year; how to change the surfaces; how to be prepared for the season. It is very, very tough. First I finish this year and then next year we can already say and talk to my coach.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: What is the reason?

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Because I played more matches this year and I played on all surfaces this year. I played the four Grand Slam tournaments and I have been through ups and downs. I know what it feels to be down and I know what it feels to be up, so next year I can already be prepared if I feel down, how I can put myself back on the road.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is all jokes about suit designers and when all the other players came in the players' lounge, I felt much better because then I thought, God, I am not alone.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Absolutely.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I spoke with the clerk and we agreed on many things.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is a joke. Don't get me wrong, it is a joke. You know, I don't feel like I need it. I am just saying that it is fun. Let us say I would say it this way if I have chance to wear something else, I would. But I don't feel like anything this year.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Lifestyle?

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No, my life changed, true, but not much, not much. Just sometimes-- first of all, you don't have time to spend your money. You play the tournaments all the time and then, you know, I actually bought little things that I like.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Watches and clothing and cars and electronics; just the little things that the kids like and there is not much to spend it on. I feel I don't really think about how much money (inaudible) it is -- I really don't think about it. It is hard to explain it is even hard -- I haven't thought about this. Nothing changed. It is probably more security; that is the only thing; probably nothing generally. You feel just more relaxed. You feel a bit more.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yes, absolutely. Not something that you are proud of or something that you are ashamed of or something that you don't like. You just comfortable. You play tennis. You don't care anymore about the rest of the things.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No. Only felt bad when they write wrong about that. The rest of it, as I say, it is a job.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I am sure you will write what you want so nobody can control him or her anybody in the room.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: There is no way to control it. How can I control it if you are going to write what you want? No chance. To me, it is-- not that I am wasting my time or something, it is funny spending the time. I don't feel good or bad about this. It is normal. It is something that I have to accept because if I don't do press conference, I get fined and this is what I don't want.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yes.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Personal life.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I have a new teacher.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I am starting.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, easy too learn. Not like I have to learn German English. Easy, if it goes, it goes. If it doesn't go, I will keep going; trying (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I asked this question many times myself.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No comment.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No comment.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No comment. You asked me the question. I am not obligated to answer it. No comment.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is something that when -- now I can control myself that maybe I can keep it up for a little bit longer than I did this year. When I feel down I know how to get up.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: He has to understand that -- he has to understand that he made a stupid question. Otherwise he will come back and ask it to somebody else.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: When will you be No. 1, he asks.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No comment.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No, I say no comment. It is the best answer.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No. This is a question that I would understand. Not the question that he --

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: To this one, if I improve my baseline; if I improve my physical condition and my quickness, if I improve my serve and volley game, if I improve my mental condition and if I be lucky in the tournaments I can reach No. 1 in some future.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Maybe if I get it is important.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I stay in this country, so the people I think they like me; especially at the courts where I practice and they show (inaudible) so I don't feel why should try to speak German. Besides, I listened to the people and I think I can learn it; just will take awhile, but I think living in this country I feel good that I have some kind of little goal in the personal mind that I can learn something, so I will try to achieve it. I don't know how soon it is. There is no minutes, but I will try to do it as soon as, you know, as I can. I got no pressure.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: In Karlsberg.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Not much, but I stay most of the time on the tour. I very much like to go to the tournaments before and I like to feel the atmosphere. Most of the time I spend on the tour, (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I don't feel down about it. I miss it, but I realize that it is something that there are things in your life that you cannot get -- you have to sacrifice and I feel -- I don't feel very bad about this sacrifice, I feel bad, but I don't feel -- I feel that it is not nice. It could be better, but I realize that it is life. So I can't help it.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: He thinks I am getting better with the (inaudible) if things will change I would like to go back to Kiev. If things do not change I would think about moving to another country.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It's a country that would actually fit me, Germany, but I cannot say it is the best country?

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: If things will change, sure, I would like to come back to Kiev, but if things do not change, I would think of moving to the other countries.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is a country that would actually fit me, Germany, but I cannot say it is the best country that I have been. I have been staying here for two years. I understand the philosophy of the life in Germany and the mental mentality of the German people. I can -- besides it is a great country. It is a great country. Very strong country.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I don't think it touches the (inaudible). I don't think if it would, I would go somewhere else, but I really don't think that the people are that stupid to bother the sports people.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: That is what I am saying. I am a foreigner, but you know, I also bring the money to this country, so. I pay tax on the prize money that I make.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Believe me, they know it. Germans, they know it because of the press. They have unbelievable press. They write so much. It is true, I am not saying it is bad, but I am saying it is huge. The people read the newspapers and about the sports they give so much attention to the sport that the people just cannot -- you cannot miss it because it is in every magazine you can read about sports.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Sometimes.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Most of the times is that they-- the German people they like to stay on their own, let us say, this is three Germans and you are aiming here, you are aiming here; you wouldn't go three together; you would go like this.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is not like -- I don't have difficulties with that. It is something that I don't really understand, but I don't have problem. It is okay. Because I would prefer also to go on my own personally. I wouldn't mind to -- it is really a little things that sometimes just don't understand but they are so little that I don't even pay attention to. I understand that I am in the other country and I cannot ask the people to change. I have no right to ask the people to change and I accept it like this. And besides -- (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It was actually fun to play tennis, fun, because we had nothing. We had the wood rackets. We had very bad courts and let us say the club was 300 kids including (inaudible).

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: When I was growing up we had really in our club we had 300 members including the (inaudible) juniors and we only had one indoor court. Just one. And it was fun. Everyone like you see 20 people on the one court. It is fun. Seriously.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, you play half court. You make one shot and you go on the line to wait for the second -- it is a lot of fun. But it was a huge family. Everyone was helping each other and sure it was difficult. I look back it was difficult, but it was lots of fun. I enjoyed it very much. At the moment I miss it because there was a team. There was you know, it was really a family that you cannot-- you don't see in any other country. It was a huge family. Everyone knew each other and everyone was helping each other.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is -- it is the same, but because of the you know, economics situation we don't have you know, enough sponsors and we don't have enough people to care about tennis very much. They only care to survive until the next day. That makes it difficult, but the people are still trying, they are working.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah. I learned a lot.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: In the U.S. I should keep my mouth shut. That is for sure. And I learned that in Germany too also.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Because American don't understand me. They think I am a lunatic. It is better to keep my mouth shut. But the rest of the world, you know, Germany, you cannot control. You would be nice guy to them they make you an asshole in the paper. Sorry. You cannot control the situation. But the rest of the Europe, I think is very good because there are the journalists; they always travel on the tour and they know me, so they want to write something that I never say. So I learned that I should come in the press conference any time they ask.