Gaston Gaudio: Falling out of love with tennis

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  • Gaudio retired from tennis in 2011.

    He was involved in one of the most dramatic finals in Roland Garros history as he pulled off a miraculous comeback from two sets down to beat his fellow Argentinean Guillermo Coria in five and lift his first and only grand slam trophy in Paris in 2004. 

    Gaston Gaudio was the underdog in that final against Coria, who was the King of Clay in the era post-Gustavo Kuerten and pre-Rafa Nadal. But nerves and cramps took over Coria and Gaudio saved two match points en route to a 0-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 8-6 victory. 

    He never won another major title after that and after slipping in the rankings, he officially retired from the sport in 2011.

    Sport360 caught up with Gaudio at Roland Garros last week, where he was taking part in the Legends’ event. 

    How does it feel when you are back at the French Open, does it feel like it’s been 11 years since you won in Paris?
    Actually, no. Every time I come here, I feel like it was just a year ago. But time has passed by so fast and I have to face it. It’s been 11 years and it’s still unbelievable to me. It was the best moment of my life. And of course coming back here means a lot to me, the atmosphere is something special and the people treat me differently. 

    I came here with one mood and when I’m leaving the tournament I feel much happier even though nothing has happened. Some good vibes and some magic situation happens here at Roland Garros with me.

    The fan reaction to you here has been incredible, hasn’t it?
    Yes, because it was a special final, lots of tragedy, it was kind of like a movie. A lot of things going on during the match and it made for a dramatic final. The people enjoy seeing us again playing in the Legends tournament and they’re having fun with us. 

    Do you ever talk to Guillermo Coria about that final?
    We saw each other a few times but we don’t talk about the final. We don’t have a good relationship after a few things that happened in the past, so I don’t have the confidence to tell him ‘what happened in that final? What were you thinking about?’ But I would love to just sit down with him one day, after 20 years of the final, I don’t know when, to sit and talk to him and say ‘okay, let’s put aside our issues’ and talk about that day. Because it was a special day for him too, it changed his life and changed my life. For me, what happened that day was like an intrigue.

    Isn’t it a bit surprising that after all this time things aren’t better between you?
    It’s normal when you have a lot of competition between two guys, it gets difficult. But after a while you just leave it in the past and you just forget about what happened during the tour and let’s talk like two old men.

    When you retired in 2011, how did you feel about your career? Do you look back and see it as a one fulfilled or do you feel you retired too early?
    It was a little bit too early but at the moment I decided not to play anymore, I was 100 percent sure that I couldn’t play anymore. I was really sick of tennis, I couldn’t win a match and I was losing to everybody. I wasn’t enjoying it that much, losing to any opponent. 

    So at the time I decided not to play anymore, I was 100 per cent sure. Then after a while, I can imagine that maybe if I was a little bit more smooth, and a little cold in that decision, I would do it differently. 

    I would take it a little bit more calm, maybe not play for a while, take a rest and then come back to tennis and maybe I, got another opportunity. But there’s nothing I can do so…

    Do you look at Roger Federer and David Ferrer who are well in their 30s and think ‘wow I could be playing now?’
    You’re right. Now I can see all the players that were playing at my time and they’re doing so well like Ferrer and a lot of others who are doing unbelievable. And every time that I see them now in the semis at a big tournament and playing great, it feels like a little bit of ‘wow, what a shame that I didn’t continue playing’. But that’s just nonsense.

    You were one of the players who never shied away from expressing their feelings regarding how tough life was on tour. That’s not very common among most players now, who tend to hide the way they feel and refuse to admit they’re going through difficult times… 
    I’ve been like that all my life, not only with my career in tennis, I’ve always been honest about expressing my feelings without any doubt. I just go for the point, I’m being straight and sincere. So the one who is telling you that tennis isn’t tough and you don’t suffer on the court, he’s a liar. Everybody suffers on the court, everybody suffers at their job.

    Me, I was a little bit more sentimental and I expressed my feelings more than the others but it’s exactly what was happening to the others I guess. Maybe the other players could control themselves a little bit more but that is not my personality. I’m exactly the same person outside the tennis. You get closer to people that way.

    What did you struggle with the most?
    Most of the time in tennis you don’t play the way you want, things don’t go the way that you would like to, so you have to manage that. And that costs you a lot of anguish, and suffering, and you’re struggling losing five or six times in the first rounds in a row and you’re always worried about the ranking and the pressure of the media and the pressure of the sponsors. There are a few things that make you feel a bit uncomfortable sometimes.

    What have you been up to since retiring?
    I’ve been living my life the way I want to. Enjoying life, doing the stuff that I like, snowboarding and all that stuff that I love, being with my family, with my friends, travelling around like a tourist… 

    And I started working on the radio, and I really like it, we go with four friends and we talk about life. And I’m starting on TV but just a little bit, I don’t want to be in the same place at the same hour every day, not anymore.

    Have you considered coaching?
    There’s always the opportunity to do that. Maybe I was sick of tennis for a while so I wanted to take a break, rest a little bit, take my time to decide that. But it has to be a good opportunity, a good player, it has to motivate me and I have to get really involved with a person. I would love to be the coach of a player that has got a great personality so we can get along. 

    Do you have any friends from tour who you’re still in touch with now?
    Mariano Zabaleta, he’s still one of my best friends, Juan Ignacio Chela was a good friend of mine, Carlos Moya, Nicolas Lapentti, Juan Carlos Ferrero… a few players who I’m still in touch with.

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