Once again you're injured. People are starting to get used to this image.
After my last injury,I count 78 tournament
weeks, including Davis Cup. Ten times I had to withdraw
before or during the tournament. Of course that could have been less, but
it doesn't fit the image you just
gave.
Players like Agassi and Becker are doing a lot worse when it comes to that.
But in Germany the press
writes: "Becker injured but fights back." Here they don't come any further
than "Krajicek injured again."
Now that we're talking about
misunderstandings anyway, a lot of people
say you didn't do well at all last year, except for Wimbledon.
A lot of people seem to have forgotten that I reached the final in Rome,
a quarter final on Roland Garros,
the final in Los Angeles and also the semi-finals of the World championships
in Hannover.
Negative things always seem to be more interesting than positive things.
I was talking about it the other day with Mart Smeets (Dutch tv-host of
a sports-programme) and we came
to the conclusion that , in the beginning of my career, I created a sort
of image that I somehow can't really
get rid off.
The audience got those negative feelings because of the way I behave on
court and I can't take those
feelings away. I'm just tall and I look down to the floor often. Sampras
also does that, but I guess with
him it just looks different.
And the press should know better by now.
That's so weird. Besides two exceptions, namely Rotterdam 1993 and during
the last Davis Cup meeting
in Haarlem, where I was being hissed, I myself feel that there isn't really
anything wrong with the
public opinion about me. People who come to see me are mostly positive,
otherwise they wouldn't come.
I have often wondered why it is that the press thinks differently about
this. Ambivalent, in any case,
because then it's "King Richard" and next time I'm a big loser.
Of course, high winds blow on high hills. When I wasn't in the top 10 yet,
I felt like people thought I had
so much talent, that nothing was good enough, except winning.
For
the last 5 years I've been in the top 15 and sometimes the top 10 and for
the last couple of months I was
even in the top 8. Of course expectations may be higher now. But I'm also
just a human being.
In my opinion, the press often remains negative about me, especially when
it comes to my injuries.
A couple of times I've thought the reason for that was in my withdrawal
for the semi finals of the
Australian Open in 1992 and maybe that is still following me.
Personally I think it's not that bad. After my last period of injuries,
I came back pretty soon ( with a
fantastic victory in Barcelona). Without congratulating myself, that is
not that usual.
Look at how difficult it is for Jacco (Eltingh). Believe me, it's terrible
to be working with soul-killing machines
for months and then come to the conclusion that you haven't made a lot
of progress.
Rehabilition like that demands a self discipline of which not many people
are aware. So when I look
back at the past years, I have a lot of reasons to be happy with myself.
Except for your way of playing after Wimbledon.
That's true. Physically I was ok then, but then there were other problems.
The absolute will to win
was gone.
Is it possible that that Wimbledon title, of which all
tennis players
are dreaming, brought along more than you thought was possible
and you weren't prepared for that?
Not so much the consequences from the outside, but more from the inside.
The attention from the media
was not extravagant and of course I'm also used to things on that territory.
But in my head a lot was
going on. I was happy and I still am. What happened to others didn't happen
to me.
I've read that there are Wimbledon champions who lost very early a year
later and said they were
happy they were no longer "The Wimbledon champion". That won't happen to
me.
I can call myself Wimbledon champion for a year, so that year is the most
beautiful year of my career.
But to get back on that court and give it all again, yes, I've had a lot
of problems with that.
In Hannover it finally went a bit better again.
Now that we're talking about Wimbledon anyway: Before
it started
you told me you were thinking about not going there at all.
That's right. Physically I was tired and a blood test showed some negative
things. My muscles were
tired, my testosterone was too low. That means you can't create a lot of
tension on those muscles.
Perhaps those things didn't come out until after Wimbledon and maybe that's
one explanation for
my moderate performance. But that week in Rosmalen I just didn't feel good
at all. And I was really
fed up with that loss to Haarhuis.
I actually wanted to go on a holiday. Till 10 days before Wimbledon, till
Saturday evening to be exact,
I didn't want to go there. And if it wouldn't have been a Grand Slam tournament,
I probably would
have gone on a holiday.
That decision on Saturday wasn't an intellectual decision. You can come
up with a hundred thousand
reasons, but that's not enough. Something like that has to come from the
inside. It has to be about
tennis ambition. That ambition came. And so I worked very hard during that
last week.
That went fine until friday, when I fell into this deep black hole during
practise. But that negative
feeling didn't come back after that, except for maybe during the first
2 sets against Steven.
You see, I definitely didn't want to loose to Sanchez in the first round.
When I played Rostagno everything went perfect. But against Steven it wasn't
like that. In the 3rd
set I told myself: "Play a bit more relaxed and try to enjoy yourself.
When you win, that's fine and
when you loose you can go on a holiday."
From that moment on everything seemed to go automatically.
When I saw Washington coming off the court after his win over Martin, I
knew he would never
beat me in the final.
I do admit it would have been different if I had had to play Martin or
Ivanisevic for example in
the final.
In the beginning, after Wimbledon, not much seemed to be going on. I went
to Monaco for a week
and after that I went running and cycling in Austria. Rohan came and we
also played some tennis
again. All very relaxed. But in Los Angeles I already felt it was going
wrong. I did win my matches
but it was all going on the automatic pilot.
After that it went downhill very fast and at the US OPen I reached rock
bottom. And after Haarlem
I was really feeling bad.
That match during the Davis Cup you were winning and then
you
got that knee-problem. And then that hissing concert.
While I was the one who had to give up and I was the one with the pain.
The when you think
about all the sacrifices you're making and all the time you're making for
that Davis Cup in such
a full schedule....no problem, and I really don't need a pat on the back
because I play Davis Cup
for Holland, but this was going from one extreme to the other.
That got me thinking: "For who am I doing all this? For yourself, your
country, your team and
the coach? Obviously not for the audience."
In the meeting with the USA (he beat Sampras there) I actually wasn't allowed
to play because
of a knee-injury, but I did it anyway, because I knew people were counting
on me.
In the meeting with India I also wasn't feeling fit. I was really down-hearted
after Australia ( he had
to give up in the 3rd round ) but especially because Stanley (Franker,
Dutch team captain back then)
wanted it, I went there anyway.
That week, despite the loss, was very positive for me thanks to the excellent
atmosphere in the team
and then I could take an important step in the right direction again.
After that hissing concert in Haarlem I've been thinking things through
a little. Unfortunately I have
a very busy schedule again this year. I will fulfill all my obligations,
but after the US Open I will take
a step back.
When I look back, I have to say I could never or almost never really prepare
for Davis Cup meetings.
They almost always were right after a period of rest and that also showed
during practise, where
everybody always played better than me. But well, Stan couldn't really
pass me of course, even if
he wanted to, except for that match against India. Not a good situation
for anyone.
Because of my injury I can't play Romania. A meeting with America would,
from the physical point,
not fit in my schedule at all. And if we would beat them, I wouldn't find
it fair towards the rest of
the team to suddenly play again then. So I've decided not to play Davis
Cup this year, except for
if we have to play a promotion-degradation match, then I'm available.
This year I choose for myself. I've told Stan and he understands. So he
can pick guys that he can count
on for the full 100 %. Because when I'm honest, I have to say I never or
hardly ever do well in
Davis Cup. And I just have to play less, that's become very obvious to
me.
I have played 23 tournaments in 1996. I've been busy for 31 weeks, Davis
Cup and demonstration-
tournaments included. I will cut back on that with at least 5 weeks. I
just can't play more anymore.
A couple of years ago Krajicek also started his own foundation to help
new talent to get further.
Stanley, Frank and Kees van Veen decide for me who might get support. It
has to be about
promising talent, who have difficulty getting further without financial
help. Someone who is not in
"Jong oranje" ( a Dutch team for young Dutch talented tennis players).
Or maybe he or she is in it,
because when I was in there I didn't have enough money for the extra costs.
During your honouring (after
Wimbledon) you wanted to give a
clinic instead of making a special ride through the city.
I'd like to make kids enthusiastic for my sport. That was my motive and
in the future I will show that
more often. Clinics are fun to do. Children are my most loyal fans and
always stay enthusiastic, also
when you're not playing that well for a while. They are also less prejudiced.
They come up to you, hit you on your shoulder and say: "Too bad you lost
to that player, but I'm sure
you will beat him next time."
Do you also want to have children?
Absolutely, and it will be a challenge for me to keep that family together
in a nice way. Of course
everybody has that goal and so it's not unique, but for me maybe that goal
weighs a bit heavier.
I know that I, statistically speaking, have a bigger chance that it won't
work out like that, because
my parents are divorced, but well, that happens in the best families, right?
In my home, especially when it comes to sports, it wouldn't be so much
achievement-oriented.
Not because that would be better but more as a reaction to the way I was
raised.
Becker once told me he played better when he was in love,
but that
that rule doesn't always work. Do those things also influence
your game?
In the end you're on the court all by yourself and then the circumstances
hardly matter. You can play
terrible matches in the most beautiful surroundings with the nicest people
around you and also the
other way around.
Sometimes it seems like good circumstances help, but it's just like in
practise. Then you can play
great and during the next match you play terrible.
Of course I also played good matches before I got to know Daphne. But a
lot of journalists want to
hear that she has a positive influence. Well, there are only 2 people who
were always there and worked
on my success. That's Rohan and that's me. Others have no influence or
hardly any influence.
How did you cope with all the gossip after wimbledon that was
especially about Daphne and your relationship with Daphne?
What can you do about it? She had more difficulties with it than me, but
that also counts for negative
stories about me. Then she's afraid it might have negative consequences
for my game.
Unnecessary, because I don't really care about it. I've learned that not
reacting is the best remedy.
I don't even wish them the joy of that. Although I almost made an exception
for that guy from
"Aktueel" (Dutch gossip magazine). But that man also wasn't worth
it.
Just like Dutch colleagues, you will return to Holland
soon. Just
because you've had enough of Monaco, or because the two of you
want to live together in Holland?
Both. Daphne's got her work here. She does a lot of tv-stuff and in april
there's a movie coming out
called " All stars" , with Antonie Kamerling (Dutch actor), and Daphne
has a part in that movie.
She also writes a lot of columns.
That I leave Monaco does have fiscal consequences of course, although many
people have a wrong
impression when it comes to those so-called heavenly financial rules. But
ok, I will just accept those
consequences.
In the beginning of next year our house in Muiderberg will be ready and
I'm kind of looking forward
to that. I haven't thought much about life after pro tennis yet. I probably
wouldn't want any press from
work for a while. I'd rather play golf for a while, keeping busy with eventual
children and
Daphne of course.
I can't imagine I'd have a job which includes a lot of traveling, because
if there's one thing I hate about
my current job, it's that. Don't forget I've been a pro for 9 years already.
Never say never, but I don't see myself as a traveling coach or something
like that. I would still like
to do something in tennis. Maybe something in Jong Oranje. Becuase I would
like to make a contribution
to the continuity of tennis in Holland.