- A year ago, you were the same promising tennis player as dozens of your compatriots, and at the end of this season, the International Tennis Federation recognized you as the best young athlete of the year. Earth does not get out from under the feet?
- No longer. Resigned to fame (laughs). Yes, and I had no time to lift my nose, because everything happened gradually: at first there were victories in ordinary youth tournaments, then in Grand Slam tournaments, it became the first racket of the junior rating, the first victory in the adult competition ... It seems like an action according to plan, right? In fact, in the past season I just wanted to take a step forward, add, and I got a whole league jump.
- What is the main impression left of the outgoing year?
- I’m no longer small and I don’t believe in fairy tales, but everything that happened was like a fairy tale, a dream. And I was very afraid to wake up. Participation in adult tournaments was completely remembered by me more than victories in junior ones. When you beat adult tennis players, who are sometimes twice your age, you grow up faster and progress in the game after each such match - as after five junior ones. I also really enjoyed performing at the Kremlin Cup, where I was given wild card . And even if she lost in the first round, there was a feeling of celebration. Dementieva, Petrova, Sharapova, Kuznetsova - those whom I looked at as celestials yesterday, are now training with me on the same court, making compliments.
- The careers of many talented tennis players ended with the transition from juniors to professionals. Was it hard for you?
- Of course, the difference is huge. Youth tennis is light and smooth, and in an adult there are tremendous speeds, blows, after which there are traces on the court, like from a grenade rupture. Some tennis players, just like men’s arms and legs are pumped up ... But physically, I feel not so bad in such matches, but psychology ... If I make a mistake, I’m very upset right away, I start to mutter under my breath and only my brother or dad, who train me, can get you out of this state with tips.
- It is known that some time ago your parents sold the car and moved to a smaller apartment so that you could train abroad and go to tournaments. Have your success in the past season already recouped these costs?
“This is still a long way off.” After all, prizes do not pay for victories in junior tournaments, and fees for adult victories go to the same trips. But no one demands from me to earn faster. The main thing is to progress now, train well. And then everything will come.
- Do you have very ambitious plans for the next year?
- I'm not going to rush anywhere - according to the rules of fifteen years, I can play in no more than nine professional tournaments. I would very much like that there would not be a too abrupt transition to adulthood when tournament after tournament is played. The body is still too young to withstand such a sharp increase in load - primarily psychological. I will rely on quality, not quantity. Now I'm waiting for a wild card in the adult grid of the Australian Open. They won’t give it - I’ll be pleased to speak again in the junior. And next year I really want to beat Maria Sharapova. This is one of my favorite tennis players, and a victory over her would give me a very greater charge of energy and self-confidence.
Andrey IVANTSOV