UbiTennis’ latest exclusive video chat with Ubaldo Scanagatta and Steve Flink’s includes a guest who really needs no introduction.
Mats Wilander is one of the most recognisable tennis figures. He is arguably the greatest player to speak with Ubitennis in our special series so far and is also the face of tennis on Eurosport. His résumé includes 33 singles titles, 7 Slams in the singles (plus one more in the doubles), he was the 1988 world champion, when he clinched the first-ever Australian Open played on hardcourts as well as the French and the US Open, winning the longest final in Flushing Meadows history (tied with the 2012 one).
A three-time Davis Cup champion, he spent 20 weeks at the top of the rankings after becoming the youngest Slam champion ever (he was subsequently overtaken by Becker and Chang), and was just the second man to win a Slam on three different surfaces after Connors (he and Nadal are the only ones to have won multiple titles on each surface, though) – the list could go on. In addition, he had a decisive role in the creation of the ATP Tour, starting the Parking Lot Revolution just outside the US Open’s grounds in 1988, when he announced the split of the players from the Grand Prix, spear-heading the first ATP Tour edition in 1990. Nowadays, when he isn’t anchoring “Game, Schett & Mats” on Eurosport, he coaches at a club in Hailey, in Idaho.
THE FULL INTERVIEW
VIDEO SCHEDULE
Minute 00: Introduction. A quick glance through Wilander’s resumé while he talks about his life in Idaho.
5:51: Moving from New York to Greenwich thanks to some unexpected advice from a rival… Why did he move to Idaho next?
6:51: Djokovic and the Adria Tour fiasco – who’s to blame, and will the tennis season suffer from this mishap?
11:18: Why is Djokovic alone getting most of the criticism?
13:21: US Open or US Closed? Will it be a proper Slam tournament?
15:18: On Kyrgios and his sudden moral high ground…
17:07: Should Djokovic resign from the presidency of the Player Council? Why the political engagement of the Big Three is a good thing…
20:16: 1988, the best year of his career…
22:18: … followed by a sharp downturn – what happened? Mats reminds us that all players are human…
25:28: How his game changed through the years, and his best match – an impromptu hit…
29:14: Why did he often beat Lendl in Slam finals? Also, go to the 31:17 mark to catch his impression of the Czech champion…
31:43: Borg’s influence on Swedish players, and what the two had in common…
34:30: The respect that the greatest players have for each other, plus an infinite Davis Cup tie against John McEnroe that sent his confidence through the roof…
39:11: His great record against Jimmy Connors, countered by a subpar tally against Miloslav Mecir…
42:52: An unprecedented moment of sportsmanship at the 1982 French Open, which his brothers didn’t take well… Also a few words about fellow countryman and friend, Stefan Edberg.
49:08: How was it to coach Marat Safin? His broadcasting job on Eurosport, and the type of player he sympathises with, as well as a few missteps vis-à-vis his choice of words in the past.
59:17: Mats concludes with a passionate manifesto of what he looks for in the game, and what the players should do as public figures.
Article written by Tommaso Villa
