Seeing today’s players on television gives Marcos Baghdatis a strange feeling: on the one hand, he sees a very different sport from the one he played just a few years ago; on the other, his mind keeps imagining how he would disrupt players like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and others on court.
“Before it was more tactical, you could play slower, play the ball. Now it’s everything — one, two shots, power,” the charismatic former Cypriot player told CLAY, a fan favourite who captivated the tennis world when he reached the 2006 Australian Open final as world No. 54.
In this interview, conducted in Melbourne during the Australian Open, the former world No. 8 also speaks about the needs of the tour, the rise of exhibition events in the calendar, and how he believes his best version would fare against today’s dominant players: “Visual wise, I see ways to disturb them.”
Interview with Marcos Baghdatis
– Do you see a very different generation compared to yours?
– Yeah, it’s evolving. Science is evolving, everything in the world is evolving. Tennis is more powerful, players are taller, bigger, stronger. It’s for sure different than 15 years ago.
– The style has changed.
– Before it was more tactical, you could play slower, play the ball. Now it’s everything — one, two shots, power. Points were slower before, but courts are slower now, balls are higher. It’s different, but everything is evolving. There is so much data, so many things improving.
– Would the “prime Baghdatis” have been successful in this generation?
– Yeah, I don’t know, I don’t know. When I see some players today, or players that have won Grand Slams, I always think how my game would disturb them, what I would do in certain situations. I think I could. But to actually do it is a completely different story. It’s a very difficult question to answer. Visual wise, yes, I see ways, but to go on court and do it is completely different.
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– This new generation also brings changes. The ATP wants to reduce the number of 250 events — will tennis lose something because of that?
– I don’t think it’s going to lose anything. What I want is to have every tournament like this one (Australian Open), because this is tennis, this is how it should be. It’s very difficult to achieve, but I think there is a possibility that tournaments can move in that direction. I also think there is a chance that more players — not just the top 100, but the top 300 — can earn more money.
– Is a shorter calendar a necessity?
– I think the calendar could be better, because we see a lot of players complaining about the scheduling. Maybe having a longer off-season, where players can play exhibition matches, enjoy their families and have more time, would be better.
– Isn’t it contradictory that players complain about the calendar but play more exhibitions?
– I played exhibitions, and it’s not the same. It’s more relaxed, more fun, you don’t have the pressure of winning or losing. You go there and it’s like practice, so it’s completely different. If the season is shorter, maybe you don’t have exhibitions during the season, but you can have them in the off-season and use them as preparation.
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