Robredo, before his farewell: "I gave everything I had, I love tennis"

Tommy Robredo he married Patricia in November 2019. Alexia was born in March 2021. A few days before turning 40 and retiring, the Olot native visited World of sports.

Nervous?

No. I am quite assumed. The pandemic delayed the moment, I couldn’t imagine leaving without my father and mother on the stands. I was excited to go home, to Godó, with my people in the stands.

How do you prepare a farewell?

I haven’t trained in a year and a half. During the pandemic, I went down (from Olot) two or three times a week to Barcelona to continue training. I didn’t do like before, but enough to support myself. And since January I have been making the necessary effort to get there as much as possible.

He says he likes track 1.

I really liked playing with 1 because you fill up faster, made of metal, noise instantly. And I like the tracks with the atmosphere. It’s cozy, but clearly the middle one is the best. The ability to look at stands, at boxes and see people throughout life is many.

Question of the rival?

The only thing missing was that he had to ask for a rival. I look forward to this moment and I am as prepared as possible. Give my whole day on that day, or on those days if I win the first round. I suppose the day before I was nervous, before playing, but right now I’m very good. I assumed it and I wanted to do it. It is what it touches, I have a family. Many years have passed and I have given everything since I was young.

Have you ever cried on a track?

(He thinks about it for a few seconds.) I think, when I hurt myself, it’s in the locker room. I don’t cry much, but the older I get, the more I cry. “

Her parents, Ángel and Dolors, were coaches. What do you think?

My father wanted the day to come, to see it, but he said nothing. He was proud but he was cold. My mother has always been an unconditional fan. At home, my father pushed me to become a professional. He came from a very poor family, he was an industrious one, to get what he got he had to leave a lot of things and make a lot of effort. This is the hard part. My mother pampered me.

And how will he explain to his son who tennis player Robredo is?

I will tell you that he is a man who when he wants something, fights to get it. Ultimately, I think that sport is a good reflection of life. Maybe in ten or fifteen years you seem to have lived a lifetime. Many times when I was 25 years old I looked more mature than others my age. You live and learn many things that make you faster. You have to fight, work, give one hundred percent to get what you want. And if it doesn’t end up coming out, it’s not a failure. Failure is not giving everything. Failed not to return to the world top-100? I would have liked to but I tried.

Over time. Why did you decide to continue on the circuit, if you already have a good record?

I like what I do. I trained and I wanted to be. Whatever it was, it was harder for me, I couldn’t get the rhythm, the confidence. Sports is a trusted subject. I have a level, I’m in good shape, but the time will come when you don’t win, when you don’t win, a series of defeats will come and it will take you. I don’t consider it a failure, but not everyone can achieve it. It choked me a bit, but for everything else I fought a lot. I have achieved many, others not but almost all.

What have you lost?

You always want more, if you are competitive. And it was this spirit that pushed me to achieve many things.

Didn’t living with the ‘Big 3’ help?

Thanks to them we have achieved a lot more. For example, in women’s tennis there is no clear number one and I don’t think they are great. A Serena, a Sharapova does well, it makes there more impact. We already have and we have to be careful when we don’t have it because the legacy left by these three, especially Rafa and Roger is so high. And you don’t always win, there are always better people. During his time, Messi covered everything around him. Are they very good? Yes, but without one Messi perhaps the others would not be seen so much.

Is Godó 2004 special?

That week was very special because I think Friday or Saturday I turned 22. Looking at everyone you know, everyone applauds you. It is very difficult to fill a central tennis court. And that everything is in your favor, the harder. And that you will win and everyone acclaims to you is the pear. It rarely happens in my life. I remember another one at Roland Garros against Monfils. All ten thousand applauded him but he was wonderful. Ferrero was in five sets at the US Open, at the Grandstand. Before playing a tiebreak in the fifth, everyone stood up. I get goosebumps. I thought: The one we’re in trouble here! I like games with substance, I like the mess within sportsmanship.

What will you leave?

Leave the bad moments, not because they teach you. The injuries were severe. Also when defeated, defeated and defeated. You see things that don’t work. But the more you work, the more you look for a solution. I’ve been compliant enough and know how to spin it multiple times.

Do you have an opponent you don’t like?

I don’t really like Roddick. It gave me zero rhythm. When he served, he saw no way to break him. And when I served, the pressure when the serve was gone, the set was gone. And against the ‘Big 3’, you have more options to beat, although sometimes you want to get to know them to see how they are at that moment.

Anyone particularly good at this?

There are players that I am very good at, that I find impossible to beat. He calmly entered the track. Now you can do what you want, I will do the rest and you will see that in tactics you are better than him. There are players I haven’t fought against in twenty years. And many other opportunities, it continues. It’s all there.

In today’s draw Saturday

Tommy Robredo will be the special guest in the draw to be held today, Saturday, in the Fan Boulevard area of ​​RCT Barcelona-1899. He will be joined by sports director David Ferrer, who will be with him in training this week at the Pista Rafa Nadal, the center of the tournament.

Do you feel recognized?

It is very relative. Recognized or not, I didn’t play to be recognized. Honestly, I didn’t like the media. Having to go to a press conference is due time, but I don’t want to be on the cover the next day. If I went out, I was excited, but I played because I liked it. I gave my best. This is not what motivated me. Moreover, social networks cost me a lot. And here we are used to seeing elite athletes. In Buenos Aires people stopped me and met you. Around here in Sant Cugat nothing stopped me. We have basketball, formula one, swimming, taekwondo, we have it all. The time will come when you will get used to Gasol, Nadal, Mireia Belmonte. You see a David Ferrer and how good he is he should be better recognized. Culture here is to have so many champions.

The Spanish chain continues to provide tennis players. Is this a miracle?

Not a miracle. When we started, we were a very good generation, there were fifteen very good ones. We have to thank Emilio, Bruguera, Corretja, Costa, Moyà. They are mirrors. Praying, where they look at each other more. Being ten years old and seeing how Bruguera or Arantxa win at a Roland Garros means that there is tennis, more people in clubs who want to be tennis players. Sant Cugat CAR is the headquarters of world tennis. You see good people training, you train them. We have certainly helped the younger generations as well. And it will continue to happen. I don’t know with the same frequency or less, but now there seem to be fewer players in the top-100, in the top-200. The subject of federations has changed somewhat, academies have multiplied, more businesses. There will still be players.

And the races are going on for a long time. Why?

On the subject of professionalism, of the ways that exist. I was going to the US Open in 2000 and the gym was ten square meters. Beto (Martín) and Tommy do stretches, ropes. No one else. We went with the trainer and a little more. In 2005 the gym was 50 square meters, there was already a physio. And now it’s 300 square meters and they’re all there. We weighed in all day. Baby, you are number one. And he told me the same thing. We laughed at each other. He was one of the first to take care of food. Before it was pasta and chicken. Now that whether gluten or not, fruit, rice, recuperator. You finish the game and you have the physio, the physical trainer. Before we did Rambo training, with weights, running. Now that everything is monitored, it’s a more specific job.

In the future, is it more about being a director or a coach?

I like two things. Fix it my dear. When I organized the foundation contest, I liked to be in charge of the event. What if they look for a sponsor, the billboards, the transportation, the hotel, the food. I like to look at everything and if I set something up, what do I want to find myself. And I want to move and command, throw it forward. I also want to help players, if you’re a listener. I like tennis. What I wouldn’t like right now is to travel a lot, even if you don’t know if the offer is interesting.

Aren’t you afraid to be bored at first?

I had a lot of plans, even the bearded vulture cyclist David Ferrer told me. My ideal future is to play teams, in Germany, in Spain, some senior or exhibition to maintain connection. And on a daily basis, runs a tournament, a club. When I choose, it will be something I am as passionate about as I am passionate about tennis. Fortunately, I don’t have to graduate. I’m on paper and pencil, not on a computer, and I’m putting choices on what I want: right now two or three days in Barcelona and the rest in Olot. I’m going to take a look. It’s going to be something I’m as passionate about as I am passionate about tennis.

And the Davis Cup captain?

This is a prize. Lately there are former players coming in. If it continues, it may one day touch me. I don’t want to draw anyone out. If this happens and I can, I will be happy to help.