Interview with Roberto Bautista Agut: "I want to take part in the ATP Finals"
Roberto Bautista Agut won his tenth title on the ATP Tour in Doha. We asked the Spaniard for an interview before his triumph in Qatar and talked to him about his goals this season, compatriot Rafael Nadal and the numerous injuries in tennis.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Feb 20, 2022, 12:31 pm
Mr. Bautista Agut, you ended your long-term partnership with coach Pepe Vendrell before the start of the season. You are now working with Daniel Gimeno-Traver and Tomas Carbonell. Why did you make this change in your coaching staff?
We worked together for almost eleven years and did a great job. We both needed a change. That was good for me because I now get some new inputs. I've been working with Tomas for a long time. Not full-time before, but he accompanied me in a few tournament weeks. He's also my manager. I used to play doubles with Daniel sometimes. We know each other very well and live close to each other. Our excellent relationship is very important for our cooperation. The exchange is very good with both of them. I am learning a lot and feel new energy. That gives me a lot of motivation for the future.
What goals are you pursuing this season?
I want to take part in the ATP Finals. I work very hard for this. I've come close a few times and I want to do that this year. I also want to win titles on the ATP tour. Those are my biggest goals in 2022. The start of the season was good. I feel in good shape and did a great job in the off-season. I want to continue like this and continue to transport these strong performances to the match court. For that I need good training sessions. At the moment I'm really enjoying the moments on the court.
It's not easy to earn respect in the locker room on the ATP tour.
Roberto Bautista Agut
Your compatriot Rafael Nadal also experienced pleasurable moments on the court at the Australian Open. What do you think of his performance?
He's a great competitor and there's something special about him in tight moments. You saw that again in Australia. That's why he has won 21 Grand Slam tournaments. There is a reason why he is one of the best athletes in Spain.
Back to you. It seems like no player really wants to play against you as you make few unforced errors and your opponents have to work hard for every win. Do you enjoy this role?
It's not easy to earn respect in the locker room on the ATP tour. You have to work a lot for that. I earned it with the way I played. That's very good for me and means that I'm doing something right.
Unlike most Spaniards, you are more comfortable on hard courts and grass than on clay. Why?
Around 80 percent of tournaments are played on hard courts. So it's very important to play well there. I also like playing on clay, but I don't spend as much time there as on hard court. That's why I usually only feel really good at the French Open. So I would have to spend more time on clay to not only play well in the last tournament and get better results.
At the moment, the end of my career is not an issue for me.
Roberto Bautista Agut
Many tennis players struggle with injuries throughout their careers. In your opinion, is that also due to the fact that so much is played on hard court?
I think it's not because of that. I think it has more to do with the schedule. We play so many tournaments and have almost no breaks. Our season ends at the beginning of December with the Davis Cup and three weeks later we're back on the plane to Australia. The ATP and the ITF should take care of this problem. Everyone in this world needs breaks. Tennis players are no exception.
You are now 33 years old. To what extent have you already considered the end of your career, given this tight tournament schedule?
I'm not thinking about that at all at the moment. I want to keep working hard on myself and enjoy tennis. At the moment, the end of my career is not an issue for me.