Speaker 1: Okay, well, yes, and Carlos, thank you so so much
Speaker 1: for your time, because I know you've been credibly busy
Speaker 1: on the court of the court wherever you are in
Speaker 1: the world at home as well. Um, first of all,
Speaker 1: I want to ask you, have you been able since
Speaker 1: New York to already kind of digest everything that has
Speaker 1: happened there for you guys, let's say a little bit,
Speaker 1: because you know, I've been through before to to what
Speaker 1: it's happening to Carlos, and I know more or less
Speaker 1: how to handle a little bit uh on the court
Speaker 1: and of the court, So you know, having that before
Speaker 1: before it helps a little bit too, you know, to
Speaker 1: digest a little bit better what's going on now. Um,
Speaker 1: let's remind a little bit back. It's been almost exactly
Speaker 1: ten years you're retired. It was October two twelve. I
Speaker 1: believe if I told you that from ten years you're
Speaker 1: going to be having incredibly successful academy, UM, working with
Speaker 1: one of the potentially grades of our game, would you
Speaker 1: believe that about about let's say about academy. I was
Speaker 1: pretty pretty sure, because you know, the way we we
Speaker 1: are working here, We're having a lot of uh professionals
Speaker 1: here we were, you know, we're promoting a lot of
Speaker 1: tennis players here, and the academy was, let's say, was
Speaker 1: working very good before all this happened. Uh, let's say,
Speaker 1: we had David fred here, uh, Sarah Poba, we had here,
Speaker 1: Justin and an Nicolas Almagro, let's say, public a lot
Speaker 1: of a lot of uh, let's say, professionals that you
Speaker 1: know they have they had very sex has tennis careers.
Speaker 1: So the academy was wasn't about doubt and being the
Speaker 1: coach of a number one in the world, I would
Speaker 1: say I I was. I wasn't sure at all because
Speaker 1: at the beginning, uh, let's say it was, it was
Speaker 1: not my idea to coach. Very early on the tour,
Speaker 1: I think I what happened just happened for five years
Speaker 1: that I was only in the academy working for for
Speaker 1: the kids, and I stayed at courts here before traveling
Speaker 1: with ShaSS birth. It was my first try being with
Speaker 1: a professional. Uh. And yeah, after that, I made the
Speaker 1: decision to change absolutely everything and I started with with
Speaker 1: a new player, that is Carlos Alcarat. And it was
Speaker 1: a completely different situation that when I started with Shasha
Speaker 1: because Shasha. I was number five in the world when
Speaker 1: I started with him working and with Carlos he was
Speaker 1: I think he had played UM two futures at that
Speaker 1: time when I started with him, So it was a
Speaker 1: very different goals and situation. And it was one of
Speaker 1: the reasons that I decided to start to work with
Speaker 1: him because it was fresh new start for me, trying
Speaker 1: to build a very good play with a lot of
Speaker 1: let's say, good conditions, but at the same time, everything
Speaker 1: was was still to build, uh, and it was let's say,
Speaker 1: it was a big goal for me, and I was
Speaker 1: one of the reasons that I get I get to
Speaker 1: to work with him. When you mentioned the start with
Speaker 1: Carlos Um, did you see it right away this is
Speaker 1: something special or a lot of people asked me about that,
Speaker 1: and let's say I saw different conditions and maybe other
Speaker 1: with that age you you could see when I when
Speaker 1: I watched him on the court, that I was very
Speaker 1: dynamic going to the net already with he was a
Speaker 1: fifteen years old, making a lot of drop shots, making lobs,
Speaker 1: making the slice, you know, changing altitude on the on
Speaker 1: the on the same point. So it wasn't easy to
Speaker 1: see in someone that I was a fifteen h you know,
Speaker 1: hit old kind of shots on the court and almost
Speaker 1: on one point, so I knew that he was different.
Speaker 1: But at the same time, you know, when you have
Speaker 1: a diamond on on your hands, you have to uh
Speaker 1: take him on on the good path, you know, good
Speaker 1: directions and always it's let's say, not not very easy,
Speaker 1: um being yourself number one in the world playing against
Speaker 1: Raphah Roger Norvak. If you can describe, maybe with one
Speaker 1: towards what is it that Carlo has, Carlos has that
Speaker 1: maybe you guys didn't have, or what or you can say, okay,
Speaker 1: this is a new generation of you know, approaching tennis,
Speaker 1: and or is it pretty much the same just maybe fast,
Speaker 1: he plays faster, he plays faster and that maybe we
Speaker 1: we did uh Physically, I think they are improving a lot.
Speaker 1: I mean, now let's say he's fast and he's powerful
Speaker 1: and his strength on the court, you could that you
Speaker 1: could see he's very splossive. And let's say before you
Speaker 1: you had one of these things, not altogether. Now I
Speaker 1: think they are more prepared to, you know, to build
Speaker 1: a complete package of you know, all the things that
Speaker 1: we were mentioning in one player and I think Carlos
Speaker 1: has all of them. And I think also you managed
Speaker 1: with Carlos to completely change what means the meaning of
Speaker 1: a passing shot, because so many times watching his matches
Speaker 1: in New York, you feel like his opponents in the
Speaker 1: passing shot, but no, he just turns around, keeps chasing
Speaker 1: them and manages to come back, which I think we
Speaker 1: didn't have. You know, I'm fighting against this all the time.
Speaker 1: You know, we're working a lot of times with the
Speaker 1: passing shot, and it's one of the things that he
Speaker 1: has to improve because there's a lot of times that
Speaker 1: he continues important and that he should have wanted. So
Speaker 1: we're working. I don't know. I mean, when he comes
Speaker 1: to the net and the plays a passing shot, normally
Speaker 1: no one else reaches it. But for some reason, that's
Speaker 1: all the point. It's not over. He runs back and
Speaker 1: may just like how how is that possible? Yeah? I mean,
Speaker 1: let's say he's like he's very fast on the board,
Speaker 1: and he's very fast on the net. Let's say he's
Speaker 1: movie he's moving on the net is like a cat.
Speaker 1: You know, he's moving like super fast, and that's all
Speaker 1: that's why always when he when I see him going
Speaker 1: to the net. It's like, I'm very calm, you know,
Speaker 1: It's it's of the points he he wanted, so it's
Speaker 1: one of the things that it's very nice from him. Okay,
Speaker 1: let's switch quickly to maybe not feeling so calm with
Speaker 1: you watch Carlos playing golf. You know, we're going to
Speaker 1: talk about him, but for some reason we managed to do.
Speaker 1: So how is it when you guys play golf and
Speaker 1: the dynamics there? Yeah, yeah, I mean, let's say we
Speaker 1: were very excited to play every week that that we can,
Speaker 1: because it's not happening very often, but every time that
Speaker 1: that weekend that we're very happy about it because it's
Speaker 1: like a very calm moment for us. Um, he just
Speaker 1: started playing golf and he you know, he loves golf
Speaker 1: and he loves to go and try to to, uh
Speaker 1: to get better. But yeah, the feeling is it's great.
Speaker 1: We try to bet all the time, his handicap in mine,
Speaker 1: and we try to make it very funny and we're
Speaker 1: very competitive at the same time. But at least there
Speaker 1: you are still away ahead and you've got time. Absolutely,
Speaker 1: absolutely absolutely we tried to get it. We tried to
Speaker 1: get it even even a tournament. Even on tournaments, before
Speaker 1: to play the tournament, we tried to to get some
Speaker 1: day to at least play nine and do a little
Speaker 1: bit different than the normal day. Yeah cool, um. One
Speaker 1: of the things I always discussed with my m precious guests,
Speaker 1: it's how how is important for you to make the
Speaker 1: transition between one incredibly successful career as yours was on
Speaker 1: the tennis court and make it just as as good
Speaker 1: in the second part of your life. When do you
Speaker 1: think it's the ideal time to start preparing for for that,
Speaker 1: like when you were on the tour, When did you
Speaker 1: start thinking about what is it that I want to
Speaker 1: do afterwards? And what helped you make the transition as
Speaker 1: as good as you've managed to. For sure, the Academy
Speaker 1: helps me to, let's say, stay calm at the beginning,
Speaker 1: because after a long career that you could have when
Speaker 1: you were playing, I think you need a little bit
Speaker 1: count time, you know, to decide what's gonna be and
Speaker 1: what you want to do in the future. But of course,
Speaker 1: in my example, let's say that the academy, um, you know,
Speaker 1: helps me to keep busy when I need it and
Speaker 1: to stay calm when I needed because I live here
Speaker 1: one of the corners of the of the academy. It's
Speaker 1: a very common place to leave. And that's what I
Speaker 1: needed when I when I finished, you know, I start
Speaker 1: to play golf and I start to to do more,
Speaker 1: let's say, other sports like paddle or bicycle or motorbike
Speaker 1: that I love, uh And I think it just just
Speaker 1: happened five years when you know, I take the decision
Speaker 1: to to stop, and then five years later I take
Speaker 1: that this is and too, you know, to make it
Speaker 1: more seriously about coaching someone. In these five years, I
Speaker 1: start here, you know, let's say, advising the players and
Speaker 1: given tips and you know, stay here at the academy,
Speaker 1: keep as I said, busy also at the office controlling
Speaker 1: everything good. But you know, it was a time that
Speaker 1: something inside me, uh like I told me that I
Speaker 1: needed to travel a little bit and get into the
Speaker 1: circuit again and you know, try to get some someone
Speaker 1: to to make a good relationship as uh you know
Speaker 1: tennis uh players and as a coach that I tell
Speaker 1: you that it's not very easy because you you feel
Speaker 1: very frustrated when you're on the chair coaching there and
Speaker 1: that you can you can you can do nothing about it.
Speaker 1: What is happening on the court. But yeah, I think
Speaker 1: that academy was the key to me to you know,
Speaker 1: to relieve all what I what I needed at the beginning,
Speaker 1: and then you know, um give me everything the what
Speaker 1: I need to to start again as a as a
Speaker 1: real job. So the obvious question whether it's harder to
Speaker 1: play or quote coach, absolutely coaching you knew with you
Speaker 1: before before. My answer, it's incredible. When I when I
Speaker 1: see my face on the TV, it's like I'm like
Speaker 1: this watching the matter, but it's like I felt that
Speaker 1: I'm I'm inside the court hitting the points. You know,
Speaker 1: it's unbelievable. So but what do you do say when
Speaker 1: Carlos finished at three am in New York. Okay, he's tired,
Speaker 1: but he started so good in a physical way that
Speaker 1: he's going to fall asleep in one hour. But I
Speaker 1: couldn't fall atly because I was so excited. So in
Speaker 1: your shoes, like, what on earth do you do? Like
Speaker 1: you got go and run out Central Park for ten times?
Speaker 1: Or wow? You know, after four years with Carlos, I
Speaker 1: you know, let's say, I know what what what I need?
Speaker 1: After after the matches. You know, at the beginning it
Speaker 1: was so much worse. Now it's so much better because
Speaker 1: I know it's gonna play more or less good and
Speaker 1: he's going to compete. But at the same time, you know,
Speaker 1: Use Open was absolutely crazy. All the matches that he
Speaker 1: he had. You know, it was an amazing feeling, but
Speaker 1: at the same time an amazing uh suffer time. So um,
Speaker 1: You've managed to, obviously do the business tradition transition incredibly well.
Speaker 1: How do you manage to stay in shape yourself these days?
Speaker 1: Because we all approach a different way. We talked about
Speaker 1: it a little bit before. What's your kind of days here?
Speaker 1: The academy is very easy because I normally do what
Speaker 1: Carlos does. Uh yeah, more or less, more or less
Speaker 1: uh now in my way, not the same ways and
Speaker 1: maybe not running that much. But I play tennis, I
Speaker 1: do gym and uh you know, play golf, play paddle,
Speaker 1: So it's very easy to stay and shape. And when
Speaker 1: I travel, Uh, let's say, I have my routines. I
Speaker 1: go like four or five times a week a team
Speaker 1: and running a bit, and it's something that I like.
Speaker 1: It's not that I need, it's something that I like.
Speaker 1: And I like to play tennis. I like to you know,
Speaker 1: keep working on the team and have my routines. Like
Speaker 1: very seriously, Uh, I think I had it. I had
Speaker 1: it to my life and it's very tough to take
Speaker 1: it away. Yeah, we need it. It's our drag exactly exactly.
Speaker 1: And just lastly on the academy, Um, is it something
Speaker 1: you want to be always focused more just on the
Speaker 1: professional part or any enthusiastic amateur that wants to improve
Speaker 1: their game, it's it's it's good for them to come
Speaker 1: as well. Or is it purely just for professionals. These
Speaker 1: days now as we opened a little bit our ideas
Speaker 1: the academy and people amateurs and the people that they
Speaker 1: lost tennis, they can they can come here as a
Speaker 1: group or maybe individual to start with, uh, you know,
Speaker 1: work for a week or something like this. We make
Speaker 1: a program like physically and tennis with one of the coaches. Uh. Yeah,
Speaker 1: let's say before it was more competing and that just
Speaker 1: people that they wanted to be a professionals they were
Speaker 1: allowed to be here. But now it's quite more open
Speaker 1: and uh, let's say people can come and enjoy you know,
Speaker 1: staying staying close of the professionals and at the same
Speaker 1: time to try to improve their levels. Yes, so if
Speaker 1: anyone wants to be in shape as you and kind
Speaker 1: of try to be close to Carlos game on the court,
Speaker 1: any amateurs are welcome to days as well. Absolutely perfect,
Speaker 1: no problem. Well come Carlos. I know how crazy busy
Speaker 1: you are with everything going on Congress once again, of
Speaker 1: everything that, thank you very much, Thank you and Carlos,
Speaker 1: and yeah, hopefully I hope to see you very very soon,
Speaker 1: either on a golf course or somewhere. It will, it will,
Speaker 1: for sure, it will, for sure, I'll see the tournament