WEBVTT - Mark Philippoussis on facing Rafter and Federer in Grand Slam finals (The Sit-Down)  

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<v Speaker 1>Other standout achievements in your career, of course, were your

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<v Speaker 1>two Grand Slam finals, the US Open in nineteen ninety

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<v Speaker 1>eight when you lost to Parafter and then Roger Federer

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<v Speaker 1>at two thousand and three Wimbledon, and those are quite

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<v Speaker 1>iconic opponents. Really did you kind of ever have a

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<v Speaker 1>sense that you were a part of tennis history at

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<v Speaker 1>that point?

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<v Speaker 2>I think, you know, I think there's so much going

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<v Speaker 2>on that you're not thinking in those terms, obviously knowing

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<v Speaker 2>it's a Grand Slam and your goal, as any athletics

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<v Speaker 2>is tennis placed, is to be a Grand Slam champion.

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<v Speaker 2>So the first one, I was twenty one, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>and that was tough for me because I was playing

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<v Speaker 2>Pat who was doubles partner, you know, Davis Cup teammate

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<v Speaker 2>and an Australian. So it was very hard where you

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<v Speaker 2>had their respect and you felt like, you know, maybe

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<v Speaker 2>too you know, I wasn't as loud as I should

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<v Speaker 2>have been, and to disrespect someone, you know what I mean.

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<v Speaker 2>And then I was in incredibly nervous at the time

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<v Speaker 2>he had won the US Open the year before was

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<v Speaker 2>my first Grand Slam. It was the first year they

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<v Speaker 2>had that new center court the atmosphere was amazing and packed,

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<v Speaker 2>and I don't know exactly what it holds, but it's

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<v Speaker 2>a big stadium and nervous start, and yeah, just playing

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<v Speaker 2>someone who was so close to was difficult for me.

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<v Speaker 2>And it was four sets. There was an opportunity, you

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<v Speaker 2>know in that third set, remember breakpoint, but just you know,

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<v Speaker 2>Pat just the experience and holding his emotions together, and

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<v Speaker 2>you know, just just had too much for me that day,

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<v Speaker 2>you know. And it's strange because you know, I was young,

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<v Speaker 2>and you're kind of a little definitely ignorant, thinking I'll

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<v Speaker 2>have another chance, not realizing how rare it is, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>how tough it is to get to a final of

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<v Speaker 2>a Grand Slam, you know, and you might not have

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<v Speaker 2>another moment, and just telling yourself that, not that I

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<v Speaker 2>didn't leave everything out there, of course I left everything out,

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<v Speaker 2>but realizing this might be your only shot, you know.

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<v Speaker 2>And at the end, I think that the problem with

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<v Speaker 2>tennis at times is that there's two to three tournaments

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<v Speaker 2>going on at the same time all around the world.

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<v Speaker 2>So when you lose, it's easy to say, oh, it's

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<v Speaker 2>next week, you know what I mean. There's no off season,

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<v Speaker 2>and maybe the same thought, it's different. There's only four

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<v Speaker 2>Grand Slams. I think I'd say, okay, I'll get the

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<v Speaker 2>next one. You know, again with being a young, ignorant person,

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<v Speaker 2>and then you know you have injuries that set in

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<v Speaker 2>this and that, and all of a sudden you find

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<v Speaker 2>two thousand and three is a complete different story where

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<v Speaker 2>I was in the final, and Wimbledon was a place

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<v Speaker 2>that I was the most comfortable because it was grass.

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<v Speaker 2>It suited my game the most. I love playing on grass.

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<v Speaker 2>And there's a lot of things that happened in the

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<v Speaker 2>fact that I had my third knee surgery and up

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<v Speaker 2>until that point they said I'll never play professional tennis.

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<v Speaker 2>So I knew how hard i'd work to prove and

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<v Speaker 2>wrong and to come back. And you know, I wasn't seated,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, I just kind of quite quietly made my

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<v Speaker 2>way through the draw and then to play Roger in

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<v Speaker 2>the finals. You know, it was I think over a

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<v Speaker 2>month Agoy. I played him in the German Open. I

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<v Speaker 2>think I beat him around to sixteen when he was

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<v Speaker 2>the defending champion there. So I beat him in three sets,

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<v Speaker 2>and then you know, so like no one had heard

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<v Speaker 2>of him. He was four in the world He had

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<v Speaker 2>won plenty of tournaments and Master Series events, but this

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<v Speaker 2>was his first Grand Slam final, and of course everyone

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<v Speaker 2>knew the talent that he possessed and how good he was.

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<v Speaker 2>But I felt like this was my opportunity. You know

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<v Speaker 2>this this I was the favorite at on that day.

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<v Speaker 2>And a couple of things that that stood stood out

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<v Speaker 2>was that walk, you know, that that famous walk from

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<v Speaker 2>the locker room to the center court. That was something

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<v Speaker 2>I remember watching as a kid, and to have experienced

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<v Speaker 2>that he was truly incredible, you know. And walking on

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<v Speaker 2>those walking on that court finals, where you walk out

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<v Speaker 2>in the crowded erupts, everyone's already in their seats, is

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<v Speaker 2>not a seat free Get still goosebumps to the day

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<v Speaker 2>thinking about that, and and at the end of the day,

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<v Speaker 2>just this is what I've worked my whole life for.

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<v Speaker 2>This is you know, to play on that center court

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<v Speaker 2>is incredibly special. Is one thing. To play it on

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<v Speaker 2>that center court. The last match on that Sunday is

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<v Speaker 2>what you train for as a kid. And you know,

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<v Speaker 2>two weeks you know, of make my way to you know,

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<v Speaker 2>it's seven best of five set matches to in a

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<v Speaker 2>Grand Slam, So you play six matches to get their

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<v Speaker 2>best of five and they've gone so close and not

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<v Speaker 2>being able to do it was mixed emotions, very difficult

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<v Speaker 2>to watch that opponent make that climb that I saw

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<v Speaker 2>Packash do as a kid that I visualized myself doing.

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<v Speaker 2>You look, but you know you don't want to look,

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<v Speaker 2>and then you know they do a lap with that

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<v Speaker 2>trophy and it's tough. It's not easy. It was. I

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<v Speaker 2>was very proud of myself, obviously, but that one really

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<v Speaker 2>hurt because I knew how special and rare these moments are,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, and I knew what I had done, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>myself in a position to try and get to that final.

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<v Speaker 1>If you'd like to hear the rest of our conversation

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<v Speaker 1>with Mark Philippusies, make sure you head to the sit

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<v Speaker 1>down wherever you're listening to this, or you can find

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<v Speaker 1>the links in the show notes