ok ... this is the interview
BEYOND LIMITS
By Max Grassi
Everybody knows that tennis is a sport of many sacrifices … not a lot of us know that Nikolay Davidenko is the living proof of that. Borned in Severodonezk, Ukraine, 25 years ago (like Federer), Nikolay comes from a modest family and in order to come this far he had to make a lot of sacrifices.
An example? At the beginning of his career, his opponents arrived all fresh and rested after a nice flight while he was coming from a night spent in a second-rate carriage with his brother Eduard to save the money for the ticket. After the game his colleagues were having a nice meal in a restaurant… let’s try imagining: Nikolay was running to the closest supermarket to buy some food… nights lost in the nicest clubs? We’re not kidding: he had to do the laundry and improvise a wire from one part of the room to the other for spreading his laundry that needed to be ready for the next day’s training and game.
And so, despite the sacrifices on and outside the court Davydenko became the 3rd ranked player behind to phenomenon-men like Federer and Nadal. Even though, telling the whole truth, we have to recognize the fact that “he owns” a super-power. His legs remind us of Rudolf Nureiev, accurate and quick on any surface. It doesn’t really matter that his success ( he had won 10 tournaments since he became a pro…that’s 7years ) is often used as a proof for those who claim that the tennis of nowadays top players isn’t at the same level as the tennis of the 10 years ago champions. Maybe it’s true. But us common people, we like watching this guy anyhow, this invisible champion, with his thin hair and his sad look of an eternal defeat, that in the fury of enthusiasm wins one match after another. Maybe this is because deep down inside we know that us mortals, we’re more like him than like the god Federer. His 2006 final was incredible. In just one month he won the Masters-series in Paris Bercy (his 5th success in this season) he went to Shanghai and, before the Davis Cup victory, he married Irina, the fiancée that follows him everywhere with his big brother Eduard.
Nikolay, in Italy not many people knows your life story…I was borned in Severodonezk, Ukraine then when I was 11 we moved to Russia then when I was 15 I moved to Salmtal, Germany with my brother Eduard who is also my coach. We’ve been training since I was 11, actually since I start living in Russia, there, obviously, I continued playing tennis, starting to play some tournaments. I “gain” the Russian citizenship at the age of 18 and in 2004 I moved back. Now I live between Colonia and Montecarlo.
Your family, is a “sport family “?No, only my brother lives in this world of sport , of tennis in particular. My parents, Vladimir and Tatjiana, have never practiced any sports, not at a professional level.
What do your parents do for living?Now, they are pensioners. From time to time they come to watch me play when there’s some important tournament going on.
Do you remember, exactly, when and why did you start playing tennis?The curious fact is that my brother also started playing tennis at the age of 11. I was having fun watching him play and so it came natural to me to play. But until the age of 11 it was just a hobby. Then I started to practice seriously, I understood that with a good training programme I could become a good player.
Your brother too was a good player in the past?No, if by a good player you mean a pro one. In Russia he was already a coach, he was watching a lot of players and their program. It’s the job he’s been doing his all life, he started at the age of 19, very young for job like this.
What were your hobbies, beside tennis, when you were a kid? I loved fishing, watching movies, I liked spending time at home.
Who was your favorite player?Naturally Ivan Lendl. He was a great tennis player, he was no 1 for a lot of weeks and usually when there was some tennis on TV he was playing. I think he was the best.
Do you remember the first time you saw Ivan Lendl play?I was like 6 maybe 7 years old, I was watching the Russian channel, on Sunday…so I was watching a final. And because the number 1 was Lendl he was always playing in the final, I ended up watching his games and I even remember thinking to myself “ he’s really good”. I loved him, in my memories as a kid he was the only existing tennis player.
How was your career at the beginning?I started slowly. In 1999 I had some points, then in 2001 my ATP first title in Adelaide and then I won the second tourney in Estoril. From one year to another I was wining tournaments and my ranking was getting better and better and then I started playing at the Master Series and the Grand Slam tournaments. But it was a step by step process it never happened to me to win as an outsider. I don’t know if you understand what I mean.
The beginning of your career was very difficult one sacrifice after another…I didn’t have a lot of money at that time because the prize-money from some tournaments weren’t enough. And then everything that me and my brother gained was for our family and for buying the stuff that we needed for living and so we didn’t really have a big budget for traveling so we did what we could. We were making the schedule like this: if there were tournaments in the same area we chose those ones in order to travel by train from one place to another instead of traveling by plane spending a lot more money. I remember that instead of going to restaurants like the rest of the players me and my brother were going to the supermarket to buy food and we ate in the hotel room. Those years, between 1999 and 2000, were very difficult, at that time I was really thinking about giving up playing.
And now… how much did your life change?Beh…( laughs ) I sleep in a 5 stars hotel and I can afford going to restaurants anytime I want. But I don’t always go to restaurants because sometimes I just feel like eating something at the bar or in the hotel room for old time’s sake. I haven’t really changed at all.
How are you outside the court?A very simple man who loves peace and quiet. My wife says that I don’t even seem to be a sport man in my free time because I like wearing classic clothes and doing a lot of normal stuff, stuff that a lot of people find annoying.
At the end of the year you always are between those ones that had played most tournaments in a season…Yes, it’s true. I really love playing. It’s true that when you need to train well you have to forget about the tournaments. But until my physical condition allows me for me it’s a lot easier to play.
How is it possible that the 3rd ATP ranked can’t find a sponsor?In Russia is difficult to find a sponsor. It’s true that I’ve been in top 10 for some time but I would have to play some final or win some Slam, this is what makes the difference for a good contract. I have a good contract with Prince but I have to keep up some standards. But there is a different story with the clothes sponsors. The secret is winning at least one Slam: that would open a lot of doors for me.
Which one of the four Slams you think you could win?The first two of the year probably: the Australian Open and the Roland Garros are the ones that where I can do my thing.
You made the big step with Irina. Can you tell us how your love story began?We’ve been together for 3 years and a half. We’ve met in 2003 in Estoril. It was the first tournament she was watching and I won it. The thing is that Irina comes from Chelyabinsk, at the east side of the Urals and she works in Moscow ever since she finished studying psychology. And we had to go all the way to Portugal to meet.
Is she always with you at your tournaments?Every week. This year she didn’t come to Australia in January but for the rest of the year she’s always with me and my brother. She is also given me massages. When she’s not with me I have a Russian physiotherapist but as you can imagine I don’t really like this solution,… I prefer my wife Irina.
How else does she help you? She keeps me calm during the tournaments. If something goes wrong on court we spend more time together and so we’re not in a hurry to go back home and rest. This is the real reason why I play so many tournaments. If I have my family and my wife with me I’m good anywhere.
How do you guys like to relax?We usually go to the hotel pool, the sauna and then massages. Sometimes we go to a restaurant but usually after a swim we prefer the room service.
You’ve been an anonymous player for a long time and now things have changed a lot for you. When did u notice you became famous?Last year I was playing the American tournament and nowone knew who I was. But this year at the Indian wells everybody was like
“ Ah, come on Davydenko!” and asking me a lot of stuff. I couldn’t even manage shopping because they were recognizing me. Being famous in America was something for me. And then, honestly, before that no another Italian journalist was interested in me… (laughs).
i apologize for the mistakes ;D
That's my couch 
Nikolay is through to the third round of Hamburg Masters where he will now face Lleyton Hewitt. That should be a great match ;D
