WEBVTT - Ep 24: Ivan Ljubičić - I Really Think I Stopped at the Perfect Moment 0:00:01.639 --> 0:00:05.360 Hello everyone, and welcome to another December episode of our 0:00:05.480 --> 0:00:09.720 DNA podcast. It's been fun times having Sir Andy married 0:00:09.840 --> 0:00:12.080 just a couple of days ago, and today is no 0:00:12.280 --> 0:00:16.840 exception having another amazing guest. I was super excited to 0:00:16.880 --> 0:00:20.239 talk to this incredibly smart and funny person at the 0:00:20.280 --> 0:00:24.760 same time, someone I still actually consider player for some reason, 0:00:24.840 --> 0:00:27.159 I guess because we were on the tour around the 0:00:27.200 --> 0:00:30.440 same time. We were neighbors and practicing in the same 0:00:30.440 --> 0:00:33.839 club in Monte Carlo for years, and we have actually 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:37.479 retired at the same age as well. So here he 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:41.960 is for you, the one only Eva Lubich, who obviously 0:00:42.120 --> 0:00:47.680 is working with the one and only Roger Federer. All right, well, Eva, 0:00:47.720 --> 0:00:49.640 thank you so much for your time and we have 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:52.440 not seen you for a very long time. Do you 0:00:52.479 --> 0:00:54.560 miss the tour? Do you miss the traveling? Have you 0:00:54.680 --> 0:00:59.880 been I've been hiding in the suburbs. I mean I 0:01:00.000 --> 0:01:02.760 do miss the real tour. Let's call it that. It's 0:01:02.800 --> 0:01:05.960 I miss. I means that. But you know, we I 0:01:05.959 --> 0:01:09.080 didn't have a chance really to to even experience this, 0:01:09.080 --> 0:01:12.399 this current tour, you know, the COVID tour, because Roger 0:01:12.480 --> 0:01:14.399 was out obviously, and you know, even if I wanted 0:01:14.400 --> 0:01:17.240 to visit the tournaments, it was impossible. And I wanted 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:19.479 to go to Rome, I wanted to go to Paris, 0:01:19.560 --> 0:01:21.600 but it was just not possible because the players they 0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:23.840 had there and to rush you know, quite close, so 0:01:24.640 --> 0:01:27.800 it was not possible. So yeah, I haven't seen this 0:01:28.120 --> 0:01:31.840 these kind of tournaments live. I watched it on TV. 0:01:31.959 --> 0:01:34.959 You know, it feels it felt like kind of you know, 0:01:35.280 --> 0:01:38.160 not not the real thing, you know, in terms of emotions, 0:01:39.520 --> 0:01:42.920 but you know, the guys and girls played played, you know, 0:01:43.920 --> 0:01:46.520 and it's good. We had some kind of tour which 0:01:46.560 --> 0:01:49.080 was at some point it really didn't look good at all. Yeah, 0:01:49.120 --> 0:01:52.040 you're right, Um, you did not miss too much as 0:01:52.040 --> 0:01:55.080 far as some kind of atmosphere goals. But it was 0:01:55.120 --> 0:01:58.320 good to have tennis back. Life on. So where am 0:01:58.320 --> 0:02:02.040 I catching you these days? And what you've been up to? Well, 0:02:02.080 --> 0:02:04.200 I mean, Monte Carlo. I'm home. You know, I've been 0:02:04.240 --> 0:02:07.720 here since uh well more than twenty years now, so 0:02:07.960 --> 0:02:10.680 uh yeah, I'm home. You know, I have I have 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:12.919 quite quite a bit of things going on, and I 0:02:13.600 --> 0:02:16.480 have this new new management group that I started in 0:02:16.480 --> 0:02:18.560 in the you know, the year the timing was was 0:02:18.560 --> 0:02:21.520 was rough. You know, but we we had a good success. 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:24.519 We hired two people, were trying to grow. So it's 0:02:24.520 --> 0:02:27.000 been busy, you know. And I spent a few weeks 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:30.120 with Roger as well. He's on his way back. So kids, 0:02:30.520 --> 0:02:33.040 you know, always take take time and you know a 0:02:33.040 --> 0:02:35.560 lot of spending time with them. So yeah, I mean, 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:37.960 although I'm not traveling as much as I used to, 0:02:38.600 --> 0:02:42.399 it's busy. So it's I like it busy. I think 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:44.560 we are very similar that as soon as we retired, 0:02:44.600 --> 0:02:47.160 we'd like to keep busy with other things. Just like 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:50.520 you mentioned, from everything that you do and you've done 0:02:50.720 --> 0:02:54.560 after your tennis, what has been the most challenging? Is 0:02:54.560 --> 0:02:59.600 it the coaching, the TV now your management company challenging? 0:02:59.720 --> 0:03:03.680 I mean it's it's a tough it's a tough way 0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:06.960 to call it, or you know, challenging. Everything is challenging. 0:03:06.960 --> 0:03:09.280 I mean, you know, to to improve Roger, it's a challenge, 0:03:09.400 --> 0:03:13.320 you know, to to uh, to you know, start a 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:16.160 new business that you you you know, I didn't go 0:03:16.240 --> 0:03:20.400 to school, you know, in order for the management. But uh, 0:03:20.720 --> 0:03:22.400 you know, with the with the years and with the 0:03:22.440 --> 0:03:24.960 people that you surround yourself, you you you're able to 0:03:24.960 --> 0:03:28.200 do it. The TV. I I definitely go to school 0:03:28.200 --> 0:03:30.560 to do that. But I I enjoyed, let's say, I 0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:33.120 enjoyed every single part of it, you know, everything that 0:03:33.160 --> 0:03:35.560 it has to do with tennis, with sports, I enjoy it, 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:37.760 you know. And also back in the days when I 0:03:37.800 --> 0:03:40.600 was playing, you know, I was a player council president, 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:43.600 I was a board member. I always wanted to to 0:03:43.760 --> 0:03:46.880 know more about about our sport. That's the base, the 0:03:46.880 --> 0:03:49.800 tennis and then in the sports in general. How did 0:03:50.080 --> 0:03:53.160 you find the balance when you retire and I think 0:03:53.160 --> 0:03:56.000 maybe this could be useful for someone that's following us, 0:03:56.000 --> 0:04:00.040 you know, just about to finish their first career in 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:02.400 the next couple of years. How do you find the 0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:05.800 balance between yes, we have done amazing things on the 0:04:05.840 --> 0:04:08.160 court that opened up the door, but at the same 0:04:08.160 --> 0:04:11.520 time to have that humbleness that whatever we start, we 0:04:11.560 --> 0:04:17.440 are starting from the scratch, even though in the same sport. Yes, no, 0:04:17.600 --> 0:04:21.640 but I mean I I never I never, how to say, 0:04:22.240 --> 0:04:25.080 I never felt like I was retiring when I when 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:28.360 I stopped playing, you know, I felt like, Okay, this 0:04:28.440 --> 0:04:30.640 is done. I'm gonna do something else now. You know. 0:04:30.720 --> 0:04:32.839 It's it was not for me, It was not you know, 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:36.200 I'm I'm I'm off, I'm gonna just enjoy my time. 0:04:36.240 --> 0:04:39.640 And for me, it was just another step to do 0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:43.640 something else and and to be honest, three years before 0:04:43.680 --> 0:04:47.480 retiring already I worked with a company that prepares athletes 0:04:47.560 --> 0:04:50.000 for the retirements, and this was one one of my 0:04:50.240 --> 0:04:54.960 motivations of to start this this sports group. I call 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:57.640 it sports group because really not just management. The management 0:04:57.680 --> 0:04:59.160 is one of the things that we do, but it's 0:04:59.160 --> 0:05:02.400 a sports group. We have a lot of different people 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:04.760 in the group that help athletes for whatever they need. 0:05:05.160 --> 0:05:07.640 And my one of my motivations was this with this 0:05:07.720 --> 0:05:10.800 company that I I used and I worked with the 0:05:10.920 --> 0:05:14.320 last three years of my career that prepares Actually it's 0:05:14.920 --> 0:05:18.400 for the next career, you know, because it is the 0:05:18.440 --> 0:05:20.920 tennis I mean, you know, you know what I will 0:05:21.000 --> 0:05:24.680 talk about. But for for tennis player, you're going, you practice, 0:05:24.720 --> 0:05:27.159 you're gone court, you work, you go on the match, 0:05:27.240 --> 0:05:29.360 you win, and you make money. Right, so you have 0:05:29.480 --> 0:05:36.599 instant um result of your work in the financial kind 0:05:36.600 --> 0:05:40.440 of sense, you know, then everything else is just slower. 0:05:40.560 --> 0:05:43.280 Whatever you do after, it's just a lot slower. You 0:05:43.720 --> 0:05:47.039 you build things much slower than those things are also 0:05:47.200 --> 0:05:50.800 much more solid and they last for longer, but it 0:05:50.920 --> 0:05:54.560 was it was a big adjustment, probably the biggest adjustment 0:05:54.680 --> 0:05:57.159 for for the tennis player. I think it's general in 0:05:57.200 --> 0:06:01.320 your sport that you open hunt the doors and two 0:06:01.560 --> 0:06:04.159 of those doors actually give you something you know in 0:06:04.200 --> 0:06:06.000 tennis or in the sport you don't have that. You 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:08.320 open the doors of the tennis court, you go any 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:10.960 whin or you don't there. There are no other doors, 0:06:11.480 --> 0:06:13.720 and this is where the business is. It's it's just 0:06:14.800 --> 0:06:16.880 way different than it took me a time to adjust 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:19.040 to it. I'm so glad you are bringing this up 0:06:19.120 --> 0:06:22.000 because I feel like it's so important, like you said, 0:06:22.040 --> 0:06:24.880 to start preparing for that while you're playing, while you're 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:28.360 doing the sports, because to me sometimes and it happened 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:30.560 to my case too looking back that I feel like 0:06:30.600 --> 0:06:33.520 I played almost for a year two years too long, 0:06:33.600 --> 0:06:36.040 because I was a little bit scared to let go, 0:06:36.520 --> 0:06:40.479 not knowing what was coming. But like you did yourself 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:43.880 as well, there was the preparation that Okay, you know, 0:06:43.920 --> 0:06:46.160 we've got the brain, we've got the work ethics, so 0:06:46.560 --> 0:06:51.720 pretty much whatever you do about okay. But I mean 0:06:51.760 --> 0:06:54.479 as long as as long as you don't have honestly, 0:06:54.480 --> 0:06:58.159 I mean economical need right away. You know, if you 0:06:58.279 --> 0:07:02.040 have if you can't afford to invest time into you know, 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:05.279 learning and building up something, it's it's much better. And 0:07:05.360 --> 0:07:08.039 this obviously then it depends on how successful your tennis 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:11.120 career was, you know, if you have some some backup, 0:07:11.160 --> 0:07:13.360 you know, but you're you're right, you know, if you 0:07:13.400 --> 0:07:15.920 put the work in and you you try to understand 0:07:15.920 --> 0:07:18.320 and your humble because this is also very important to 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:23.760 understand that you're not starting from where your text career stopped. 0:07:23.800 --> 0:07:26.720 You're starting from from the beginning. And I was lucky 0:07:26.800 --> 0:07:30.040 really because I really really think I stopped in the 0:07:30.080 --> 0:07:33.400 perfect moment, you know. And I never looked back like 0:07:33.480 --> 0:07:35.080 it was it too soon or was it too late 0:07:35.200 --> 0:07:37.720 hours It was just perfect, you know. And I took 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:40.680 a month off, you know, I had a good summer 0:07:40.720 --> 0:07:43.160 that summer two thou twelve, but I was ready to go, 0:07:43.520 --> 0:07:47.240 Like I retired in Dubai. You actually, I decided to 0:07:47.280 --> 0:07:50.080 not to play anymore. I played one last event in 0:07:50.360 --> 0:07:53.400 Monte Carlo in April, and then I went to roll 0:07:53.440 --> 0:07:55.720 and gar Us as a tourist and and you know, 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:57.840 and and everybody was like, what are you doing here, said, 0:07:57.880 --> 0:08:00.480 what do you mean, what am I doing here? Uh? Like, 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:02.800 I just love this place and I know that I 0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:05.360 will be doing something in the sport. It's just that 0:08:05.520 --> 0:08:07.680 I'm you know, I'm figuring it out, you know, so 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:11.080 I'm not running away, and I can't wait to run 0:08:11.120 --> 0:08:13.360 away from this madness. You know. It was something that 0:08:13.400 --> 0:08:16.040 I enjoyed immensely. It's so true. I said that in 0:08:16.080 --> 0:08:20.880 my actually retirement statements that I'm not I'm retiring from 0:08:20.920 --> 0:08:24.680 the professional part. But we cannot say bye to something 0:08:24.720 --> 0:08:27.120 we love. It's our DNA, it's in our heart and 0:08:27.320 --> 0:08:29.240 it's going to be always part of our life one 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:32.160 way or the other. Yeah. But I think I think 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:35.640 when when one part is that the young players, you know, 0:08:35.720 --> 0:08:37.920 they will listen to us and they said, what they're 0:08:37.920 --> 0:08:44.600 talking about because you do get you start loving the sport. Later, 0:08:45.000 --> 0:08:48.120 you know, a lot of kids start playing because they 0:08:48.160 --> 0:08:49.760 like it, and then there is a period where it 0:08:49.800 --> 0:08:52.200 becomes the work and maybe for some maybe too soon 0:08:52.240 --> 0:08:56.760 as well. Um, but it becomes a you know, a 0:08:56.800 --> 0:08:59.640 lot you know, it's it's there's a lot of pressure, 0:08:59.679 --> 0:09:02.679 there is a lot of negative also part of what 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:04.960 you do. But then by the end of your career, 0:09:05.040 --> 0:09:08.040 you you go back to loving it. So this is 0:09:08.080 --> 0:09:11.600 where where maybe a lot of players, especially younger ones, 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:14.920 they don't they will struggle to understand that part why 0:09:14.960 --> 0:09:18.400 everybody who retires from playing and do something else. They 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:20.600 talk about the law for the sport because you with 0:09:20.679 --> 0:09:24.480 the time you get understand what it actually really means, 0:09:24.520 --> 0:09:26.560 the support to you and for your to your family 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:29.840 and everybody around you. Yeah. Absolutely, I think the appreciation 0:09:30.000 --> 0:09:31.920 is at the beginning. Then, like you said, there is 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:34.760 the work part, and then there is a even bigger 0:09:34.760 --> 0:09:38.599 appreciation afterwards. And I think one of the biggest adjustments 0:09:38.640 --> 0:09:41.600 as well is to understand that you know, in tennis 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:46.080 you have constant results. You do well, you win, you lose, 0:09:46.480 --> 0:09:49.480 you do bed, you lose. Where whatever we do now 0:09:49.520 --> 0:09:52.280 there is no such feedback right away like in tea, 0:09:52.800 --> 0:09:55.960 like with with your business. It's like, okay, am I 0:09:56.000 --> 0:09:59.839 doing right or wrong? Like it's more about self just 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:03.440 but I guess yes, we'll trust the process also with 0:10:03.640 --> 0:10:06.760 we then you know, again we learned from our tennis 0:10:06.840 --> 0:10:09.320 or to our sports. You know, where you you don't know. 0:10:09.360 --> 0:10:11.520 You hire a new coach, you don't know if he's 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:13.880 good or bad. You know, on the paper, to city 0:10:13.960 --> 0:10:16.679 looks good, you know, for whatever reason, it sounds like 0:10:16.720 --> 0:10:19.440 a good idea, but you actually don't know, and you 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:22.320 have to you have to invest time, you know, and 0:10:22.360 --> 0:10:25.000 trust the process that we will actually pay off in 0:10:25.040 --> 0:10:26.920 the business is the same. It's just as I said, 0:10:26.960 --> 0:10:29.640 it's just to take so much longer to actually see 0:10:29.640 --> 0:10:33.840 the results. Yeah, it's so true. Um, since you know, 0:10:33.960 --> 0:10:36.480 the podcast is called The Real DNA, want to talk 0:10:36.520 --> 0:10:41.560 to you about that little bit what as a person 0:10:41.960 --> 0:10:45.880 you appreciate the most about yourself and the others as 0:10:45.880 --> 0:10:50.880 far as the real values of like whoah, my god, 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:53.959 that's that's a tough one. That's I really don't like 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:58.080 to to to talk about my what I can tell 0:10:58.120 --> 0:11:00.800 about what I love about others. Know, it's really to 0:11:00.840 --> 0:11:06.000 be open and and and honest and really like I 0:11:06.080 --> 0:11:09.920 hate games, you know, I hate backstabbing and these things. 0:11:10.000 --> 0:11:12.160 It's it's of course that you know, you can say, 0:11:12.240 --> 0:11:14.600 so what are you doing in the management world? You know? So, 0:11:15.160 --> 0:11:17.480 but that that's exactly what I what I wanted to bring, 0:11:17.559 --> 0:11:22.840 you know, just the straight open how how to say 0:11:23.640 --> 0:11:28.160 collaboration or or or or within the place, you know, 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:33.720 just honestly, yes, open conversations, open connection, right, and then 0:11:33.800 --> 0:11:36.440 you know that the results can be there cannot be there. 0:11:36.520 --> 0:11:40.320 This this part sometimes you just can't control. But for me, 0:11:40.400 --> 0:11:45.120 it's this this uh, this being being open. It's it's 0:11:45.120 --> 0:11:47.559 really really important, and it's it's not easy. I mean, 0:11:47.600 --> 0:11:51.040 it's almost easier as a player to be open. In 0:11:51.080 --> 0:11:54.000 the business world, you have to sometimes hide your cards, 0:11:54.040 --> 0:11:56.880 but that doesn't mean that you need to lie or 0:11:57.000 --> 0:11:59.839 or be dishonest, you know, not at all. So this 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:04.840 is something that I have seen around sports, well not 0:12:04.880 --> 0:12:07.480 so much in tennis. Honestly, I really I'm really proud 0:12:07.520 --> 0:12:10.640 and happy about in the environment around tennis, there really 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:14.199 not many no bad people, you know. It's it's there 0:12:14.240 --> 0:12:17.360 are those businessmens who are harder and and they're they're 0:12:17.400 --> 0:12:21.480 gonna do maybe that extra step, maybe more than others. 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:24.200 But I think, I mean you I'm not sure if 0:12:24.200 --> 0:12:27.400 you will agree, but I think our it is a 0:12:27.440 --> 0:12:31.720 somewhat smaller world. You know, it's quite it's quite pleasant. 0:12:31.800 --> 0:12:34.160 You know that there are no I'm happy that I 0:12:34.200 --> 0:12:37.000 can walk into the player lounge and look everybody in 0:12:37.000 --> 0:12:38.920 the face and say hi and have a coffee with 0:12:39.000 --> 0:12:41.920 you know, no matter. You know what what you know 0:12:42.040 --> 0:12:44.360 is it there's another player or another coach of another player, 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:47.040 or or agent or another player or whatever that is. 0:12:47.040 --> 0:12:49.680 You know, and this for me, it's very very important. Well, 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:53.120 you've been very mild there with yourself because I think, 0:12:53.120 --> 0:12:55.560 like you said towards the end, that's the biggest quality 0:12:55.760 --> 0:12:59.640 that you've ever had, that you could pretty much go anywhere. 0:12:59.640 --> 0:13:02.240 And I think all the players will want to hug 0:13:02.280 --> 0:13:06.520 you and and appreciate the goodness that you brought everywhere 0:13:06.520 --> 0:13:10.240 you want. And that's just my own personal experience. So 0:13:10.559 --> 0:13:12.880 no thanks, thanks, but you know, I was. I was. 0:13:13.040 --> 0:13:14.800 Maybe it comes also from the days when I were 0:13:14.840 --> 0:13:17.040 representing all the players, you know, in the council and 0:13:17.160 --> 0:13:21.679 the board, and I've really tried to help U. And 0:13:21.760 --> 0:13:24.480 I see now we have political battles and we will 0:13:24.520 --> 0:13:27.680 always have them. You know, it's not something new, you know, 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:30.760 NOA now, we tried to kind of make a step further, 0:13:30.960 --> 0:13:34.080 and you know, we all tried it. We all been there, 0:13:34.360 --> 0:13:36.959 you know. So it's it's uh. I think the players 0:13:37.000 --> 0:13:39.720 and the people in Tennis that they kind of saw 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:43.280 that and one of the one of the nicest, maybe 0:13:43.360 --> 0:13:46.760 the nicest moment in my career. Actually happened after I 0:13:46.800 --> 0:13:50.719 retired that day in Montsory actually was I think was 0:13:50.760 --> 0:13:52.959 the day after in Monte Calo. You know that in 0:13:53.040 --> 0:13:55.360 Monte calog there is this player party where it's kind 0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:58.040 of closed, where only the players can. I only heard 0:13:58.080 --> 0:14:00.920 about it, but I've never been. But I amazing things. Well, 0:14:00.960 --> 0:14:03.319 it's it's a it's a special place and a special 0:14:03.320 --> 0:14:07.560 moment for for players only and they're very close teams. 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:09.640 But now it's honestly, it's now it's different with the 0:14:09.679 --> 0:14:12.280 mobile phones and things. Back in the days it was, 0:14:12.600 --> 0:14:15.680 it was even wilder. But anyways, so it was when 0:14:15.720 --> 0:14:17.720 when when I retired the day after, we had this 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:20.320 this dinner at this party, and and I went on 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:22.920 stage to to do a part in this acting and 0:14:22.920 --> 0:14:25.080 and and and then then I got the standing ovation 0:14:25.200 --> 0:14:28.320 from from everybody basically for my career. That was. I 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:30.280 still have chills when I think about it. It was 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:33.840 something that I was probably the most proud of of 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:36.400 all my tennis career, you know, just to see that 0:14:36.800 --> 0:14:40.560 the players because for so many years I did so 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:42.760 much and I tried to do as much as I 0:14:42.800 --> 0:14:46.320 could to to to help, you know, the players getting 0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:48.520 a bigger stake in the game and being you know, 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:52.360 being heard, but you don't actually know if it's appreciated. 0:14:52.400 --> 0:14:54.520 You don't know if if it's heard, if it's team 0:14:54.600 --> 0:14:56.520 you know, and that that moment gave me a lot 0:14:56.640 --> 0:14:59.880 really and it helped me, you know, also gain confidence 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:03.520 two other things after my career. Well, talking about proud 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:06.600 moments in your career, there is one that actually happened 0:15:06.680 --> 0:15:09.560 right here where I am at the moment in Barislava, 0:15:09.800 --> 0:15:14.520 and we need to David, how special was it? And 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:17.920 also what is it in the air or the water 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:21.080 you guys drink that you have so many incredible players 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:25.440 coming literally from you know, this little place in the world, 0:15:25.480 --> 0:15:29.320 just like it is for us. Yeah, well, it's uh, 0:15:29.720 --> 0:15:31.800 this persial place. I mean, it was a couple of 0:15:31.800 --> 0:15:33.240 couple of days ago, a few days ago. It was 0:15:33.360 --> 0:15:37.120 fifteen years anniversary actually, and I couldn't believe it's fifteen years. 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:40.280 It's it's so much that it was. It was incredible. 0:15:40.280 --> 0:15:43.840 I mean all that year, the entire though, those two 0:15:43.880 --> 0:15:46.800 couple of I mean two thousands, thousand six and part 0:15:46.840 --> 0:15:49.240 of two thousand seven was like one big blur for 0:15:49.280 --> 0:15:52.800 me because all of a sudden I started to win everything. 0:15:52.880 --> 0:15:55.480 I mean that I could obviously, other than Rough and 0:15:55.560 --> 0:15:57.880 Roger that it was, you know, the doors were shot 0:15:57.960 --> 0:16:00.720 over there. But our I reasoned, I'm between in the world. 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:02.800 I wanted Davis cuple I want so many events. I 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:06.000 played the finals, you know, like things just started to happen. 0:16:06.200 --> 0:16:09.040 And it happened when I was seven, you know, so 0:16:09.120 --> 0:16:10.960 it didn't happen at the beginning of my career where 0:16:10.960 --> 0:16:13.120 you think like, okay, this is somewhat normal. I'm good. 0:16:13.360 --> 0:16:16.560 It happened kind of later, so I got to appreciate it, 0:16:16.600 --> 0:16:19.880 maybe even more. But Davis Cup was the first round 0:16:19.920 --> 0:16:23.160 we played in US against I guess the Erodic and 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:25.880 Bryan brothers, which you know, we we thought, okay, that's done, 0:16:26.280 --> 0:16:27.880 but we managed to win that one, and then all 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:30.040 of a sudden, we started believing that we can actually 0:16:30.040 --> 0:16:32.480 go all the way in Slovakia, be Argentina and also 0:16:32.560 --> 0:16:35.400 other big teams. So it was the first ever and 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:38.840 I think probably by by now the only finals to 0:16:39.040 --> 0:16:44.960 unseeded teams. And I was crazy and and uh yeah 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:48.200 we wont the last match at to all Anti bit 0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:52.400 Martin jac and I again, I don't remember much after 0:16:52.480 --> 0:16:55.960 the match. I just remember us going back the day after, 0:16:56.200 --> 0:16:59.000 we went back to Croatia and there was I don't 0:16:59.000 --> 0:17:01.840 know now how much, but about like fifty people waiting 0:17:01.840 --> 0:17:04.960 for us at the main square. That was That was crazy. 0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:07.879 And this is one of the regrets I have, is 0:17:07.920 --> 0:17:12.159 that we did not celebrate that title enough or properly actually, 0:17:12.240 --> 0:17:15.080 because we came back to Grazia, we had this welcoming 0:17:15.160 --> 0:17:17.440 and then then everybody just kind of went home, you know, 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:19.800 So this is this is a small regret I have. 0:17:20.720 --> 0:17:23.359 What is it about David's cover fed Cab Because I 0:17:23.359 --> 0:17:24.960 don't know how it is for you, but for me, 0:17:25.040 --> 0:17:27.760 winning fed Cup was definitely the highlight of my career 0:17:27.960 --> 0:17:32.000 because it was for everyone at home. What is it 0:17:32.040 --> 0:17:35.480 that we feel like this about? But I don't know. 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:37.639 I mean it is you feel like you're you're playing 0:17:37.720 --> 0:17:40.560 for for the country. You know, you play for the people. 0:17:40.680 --> 0:17:42.760 You feel you don't play it for yourself because you 0:17:42.760 --> 0:17:45.840 cannot win it by yourself, so you you just feel 0:17:45.840 --> 0:17:50.119 like also the the media and everybody it's more behind you. 0:17:50.119 --> 0:17:53.479 You know that it feels like people almost care, not almost, 0:17:53.480 --> 0:17:56.320 but they do care more if you win. When you're 0:17:56.320 --> 0:17:59.640 representing the country. Then when you win, just representing yourself. 0:17:59.760 --> 0:18:03.000 So this is something that I struggled at the beginning 0:18:03.000 --> 0:18:05.320 of my career, you know, with this pressure. It was 0:18:05.359 --> 0:18:08.600 just different that I couldn't I didn't understand it was different, 0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:11.159 you know. But later I figured it out and I 0:18:11.320 --> 0:18:14.960 used this pressure called pressure but the crowd, but also 0:18:15.240 --> 0:18:18.680 in my advantage. But it took time. It was not automatic. 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:21.639 I feel like we could just talk about your career 0:18:21.760 --> 0:18:23.959 for another three hours, but I know you don't have 0:18:24.160 --> 0:18:26.480 as much time. So I want to go to a 0:18:26.640 --> 0:18:30.880 question that I'm dying to actually ask myself, what did 0:18:30.880 --> 0:18:34.600 you think when Roger called you up to ask you 0:18:34.640 --> 0:18:38.399 to coach him? Um? I would I would literally I 0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:41.800 think freakouts, start to run, drop my phone. I don't know. 0:18:42.840 --> 0:18:45.080 How did you feel? And how long did it take 0:18:45.160 --> 0:18:49.080 you to actually commit to it? Oh? No, it took 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:51.639 me two seconds. I mean, it's not but you know, 0:18:51.800 --> 0:18:54.600 for me it was was of course. I mean, you 0:18:56.440 --> 0:18:58.360 say yes, it's not. It's not a question of yes 0:18:58.440 --> 0:19:01.040 or not. But for me it was important to understand 0:19:01.080 --> 0:19:04.720 also what his goals war and what was his restaurant, 0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:06.720 what he's thinking because we were friends and we asked 0:19:06.720 --> 0:19:09.679 the friends, of course, but we were close friends, you know, 0:19:09.800 --> 0:19:12.320 even before, so you know, and but we never really 0:19:12.359 --> 0:19:16.240 talked about tennis as much. You know, so I knew 0:19:16.400 --> 0:19:19.720 everything about him, but I didn't know specifically the tennis part, 0:19:19.840 --> 0:19:24.240 you know, what what his expectations are, what his beliefs are, 0:19:24.320 --> 0:19:26.600 and and for me, you know, I just wanted to 0:19:26.640 --> 0:19:30.160 make sure that we we have the same um how 0:19:30.200 --> 0:19:35.280 to say, same goals, you know. And I always felt 0:19:35.320 --> 0:19:38.280 like he was he underperformed, you know, those those few 0:19:38.320 --> 0:19:41.680 years between two thousand and ten, and uh not underperformed, 0:19:41.680 --> 0:19:44.760 but the results he doeserves more, he doeserves better, you know. 0:19:44.800 --> 0:19:47.480 And I wanted to try to help to to bring 0:19:47.640 --> 0:19:50.399 bring bring those ground slams back. And you know, we 0:19:50.400 --> 0:19:52.760 were lucky enough to be able to, I mean, win 0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:55.520 three actually, which was amazing at the time. You know, 0:19:55.560 --> 0:19:58.080 when you when you don't win, you you feel like 0:19:58.080 --> 0:20:00.680 it's almost impossible. But then you know, then they kept 0:20:00.680 --> 0:20:04.639 coming one after another. Was was crazy? Was it? I 0:20:04.640 --> 0:20:07.399 wouldn't use the word intimidating, because, like you said, you 0:20:07.440 --> 0:20:09.440 guys known in the each other for so long. But 0:20:09.840 --> 0:20:13.800 having that first practice session, you know, we are talking 0:20:13.800 --> 0:20:16.960 about the grades in the game, like what do you 0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:19.160 go and say, okay, well and your knees a little 0:20:19.200 --> 0:20:21.600 bit more use the worst I mean, where do It 0:20:21.760 --> 0:20:24.440 was one of the it was one of the no 0:20:25.320 --> 0:20:27.639 But I have to I have to say, I have 0:20:27.840 --> 0:20:30.040 to say that Roger helped me a lot. I mean, 0:20:30.119 --> 0:20:33.840 he he knows that, you know he, I mean you 0:20:33.880 --> 0:20:36.119 know him also quite well. You know he's he's very 0:20:36.240 --> 0:20:41.000 humble and very easy going, so he knows that it 0:20:41.040 --> 0:20:43.240 would it would be for sure a little bit awkward 0:20:43.280 --> 0:20:46.359 first practice or first two practices, but he made sure 0:20:46.440 --> 0:20:50.160 that it wasn't. So it was not a problem at all. 0:20:50.240 --> 0:20:53.520 We were in Dubai and you know, the weather was nice, 0:20:53.720 --> 0:20:55.679 everything was nice, and we just kind of we had 0:20:55.760 --> 0:20:58.000 the time, you know, because you have we had a 0:20:58.040 --> 0:21:03.080 month basically of preparation for the new season. So it 0:21:03.160 --> 0:21:05.320