Among other things, he surprised with his knowledge about Romanians in tennis. He explained why Ilie Năstase calls him “son” and why he is convinced that Simona Halep will win more Grand Slams.
7 times Grand Slam winner, Wilander detailed why Mihaela Buzărnescu impresses him, but also why Simona is so loved all over the world. And why the neutral spectators end up sticking with our player. Believe it or not, Wilander stated no more, no less, that “Ion Ţiriac has his dose of madness”.
Mats Wilander, interviewed by Dan Filoti and Dragoş Suciu
– What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear “ Romania “ ? If someone asks me, when I hear “Sweden”, I think of Thomas Ravelli and Kenneth Andersson.
– I think I’m thinking about tennis, I’m thinking about Nadia Comăneci, about football, of course. But, for me, Ilie Năstase was a significant figure at the beginning of my tennis career, in my tennis life. He played in the Wimbledon final against Stan Smith. Then I saw Bjorn Borg’s first win at Wimbledon against Ilie in 1976. My father loved Ilie Năstase, he became a legend in my house.
Ilie Năstase, Mats Wilander’s first idol
– Did it inspire you in any way? He was more than a tennis player, he was a superstar, a tennis rock star.
– It’s very interesting. Being a child, I didn’t see that part of the tens practiced by Ilie Năstase, I saw his technique. And when I was a professional player, I sometimes tried to serve like Elijah, to imitate him. I was interested in his movement on the court, his hair, then the finesse he had. It’s weird, but I didn’t notice that rock star side of him.
– But when did you notice this side of Ilie Năstase?
– I saw her for the first time in the Stockholm Masters final. I think he was playing against Arthur Ashe. He did something strange, climbed into the stands and sat down. Then I said for the first time: “ He’s crazy!” . Then I played against him.
– You beat him.
– Yes, in Milan, in 1984, he used to call me “ son “. And today he calls me “ son “ . It was very interesting because he was towards the end of his career, I was at the beginning. I couldn’t imagine playing against Ilie Năstase in tournaments. And, yes, he was trying to talk to me before games. And tell me “ you’re going to have problems today “. I knew he was joking.
– Before we talk about Simona Halep. During the time when you were playing, we had a great player in Romania, Virginia Ruzici. Do you remember about her?
“Virginia Ruzici is a tennis legend”
– Of course, very good!
– Was he a prominent figure in women’s tennis at that time? Because it was a fantastic time, with Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert. But he won Roland Garros and played another final.
– It was a source of inspiration because it was a similar period to that of current men’s tennis. With Roger, Rafa, Novak, big names. To have someone who ends up winning a Grand Slam, beating the best players. He is an inspiration not only to the tennis world but also to other players. That’s what we lack today in men’s tennis, dominated by the big three players. In women’s tennis we see that as soon as Serena Williams stops playing well and stops winning, everyone else thinks they have a chance. I like not knowing who will win the tournament. Virginia Ruzici was a legend, obviously. He played around the same time as me, a little before. We have noticed as tennis players that there is someone who can win without being a world star.
– You said earlier that Simona is a special character. And , for this reason, you want him to win at Roland Garros. What is so special about it?
– Above all, it is its power to be emotionally involved. Sometimes, however, this is her weakness. Sometimes she is too emotionally involved. It distracts her from her tennis, it affects her morale. We all have pluses and minuses. Rafa Nadal’s forehand is his forte. When his shot doesn’t go well, he doesn’t win. It makes Simona more interesting. I think that fans all over the world appreciate the way Simona is on the field, very normal. Natural.
– It’s natural, exactly.
Then, being shorter than the others, it becomes a sentimental favorite. The way he plays, he works very hard. He has, however, a very natural way of hitting the tennis ball, very attractive. The service is very smooth, very nice, with rhythm. We know he doesn’t have a lethal weapon. This is the opinion of many.
“Simona Halep is the star of the women’s circuit”
– Can we talk about a current star in women’s tennis, after the dominance of the Williams sisters? Is Simona Halep this star? Or is it a whole generation, with Kerber, Muguruza, Osaka and the rest?
– Even if Simona has, until now, only one Grand Slam and Kerber has 3 or Muguruza has two, the star is Simona. Because of the aura around Simona Halep, different from that of the other players. The consistency of his passion to win tennis matches. That’s what the other players lack. Simona is helped by many Romanian fans all over the world. It’s a completely different atmosphere to matches where Kerber or Muguruza play. Of course, Serena Williams has fans all over the world, it’s obvious. But Simona Halep is supported by many Romanian fans and, when she plays, it’s like the rest of us want her to win too. We want to see Simona Halep happy. Romanian fans come everywhere to see her play, in Miami, at Indian Wells, she has them everywhere.
– Is Simona Halep different without Darren Cahill?
– She is different without all those who helped her. The decision to break up was mutual, I know they keep in touch.
– And maybe in the future?
– In the future, when Cahill’s life changes. I think he learned a lot from Darren Cahill. He learned a lot from Simona Halep, for the future of his coaching career. I don’t think Darren Cahill or any other manager can do more. It depends on Simona if she wants to win a big tournament, if she needs to win big tournaments. If she wants to improve her game, if she wants to evolve as a player, as a person. I don’t think Darren Cahill can decide that for her. I’m not worried about this breakup.
– The future looks bright in women’s tennis, there are some interesting names. Marta Kostyuk, Amanda Anisimova and a special name I want to talk about, Bianca Andreescu. A player born in Romania representing Canada.
– An incredible player. What we have seen of her so far is on a different level. He reminds me of someone like Novak Djokovic when he came out. You look at it and say, “ Oh my God, it’s a different level!” . He knows how to do everything, he came out of nowhere, very quickly. She has a good shot, power, spirit of a fighter, like Simona Halep. She moves well, she’s formidable. She wasn’t given many chances by us like other young players.
– Are the physical problems she has normal at her age?
– I don’t know, Rafa Nadal also had physical problems. It depends on how you are in life. Physical problems are usually related to how you act emotionally. For Rafa Nadal, there is no such thing as not being involved one hundred percent. It seems the same with Bianca Andreescu. He is ready to die on the tennis court. He will have injuries because of this.
– We have many players in WTA, but in ATP we live with the stories of Ilie Năstase, Țiriac and others. Do you know a Romanian player? Tecau is at doubles.
– I know him, I know Marius Copil. Sometimes, in some countries, they are good players and they are not players. And suddenly, players appear and female players disappear. In Germany there are good players, for a long time, and they are not players. Then suddenly Alexander Zverev appears and maybe a few others.
– There are some interesting names in Germany.
– It’s quite normal, I still think it’s very difficult to be a tennis player. The women’s competition is getting stronger every year. To succeed in becoming a professional player is. It is probably the most difficult sport in the world. There are so few positions to reach that will ensure your survival as a professional player. This is not the case in other sports.
– We are also talking about Tsitsipas, can we say that he is a Zlatan of tennis? It is more popular, more sociable, more positive.
It is a model for children, but also for us players. He is fearless, especially against top three players. He’s not afraid to play midcourt against Federer at the Australian Open. He is not afraid to execute the backhand with two hands, to go to the net. He serves from the volley, even on clay, against Rafa Nadal. He’s fearless, he’s an inspiration not only to tennis fans, but to sports fans in general. You want to see Tsitsipas play well.
– Do you see these future stars winning a Grand Slam? Because Tsitsipas won against Federer and then played pretty badly against Nadal in the semifinals. Do you think they can win important matches?
– Today I think, yes! Can they win a Grand Slam when we have Roger, Rafa and Novak on the tour? Very difficult, but their time will come. Among the 19, 20, 21-year-old players, at first I thought it would be Denis Shapovalov. Then there was Felix Auger-Aliassime, now Stefanos Tsitsipas. Yes, he is a year older, but he acts like someone who has been in professional tennis for a long time. I think he will be the first to win a Grand Slam. Yes, he can already impose himself at Roland Garros.
– Simona, on clay, is better than on other surfaces.
– Yes, she is better, but I think the other players also prefer hard surfaces. They don’t move very well on clay, they don’t slide like tennis players do. Simona does it because she is strong, she is fast. The Roland Garros tournament and the clay give Simona a sense of calm before the match. You have time to straighten things out, improve others. The stress level for her is lower on clay. This is why it is better on this surface.
– She hasn’t won that many titles so far, but can we talk about Simona Halep as a “Novak Djokovic” of women’s tennis?
– As a style of play, physical, yes. As a playstyle, emotionally, yes. They have many similarities. A better backhand and forehand, yes. But at the same time, for both, the forehand makes the difference between victory and defeat. It’s very similar. I think there are many similarities. Obviously, Novak is stronger than Simona, but they are extremely similar. What we love about them is the emotion they play with.
“Mihaela Buzărnescu has something special”
– Apart from Simona, we have other girls in the circuit. These girls have some special stories. Miki Buzărnescu is an example. Many injuries, many problems. Now she is, however, a very good player.
– I saw her play well at the French Open last year. I followed her, she has something special for me. She is dangerous, understands tennis naturally, has excellent technique. She is a player that when you see her play, even if you don’t know her background. You can sense something emotional in the tennis she plays. She is very easy to please, you admire her journey to get here. She shone late, she is growing more and more and she is very dangerous.
– He also has some problems with referees.
– Put a lot of passion, Ilie Năstase was a player who acted the most emotionally of all the ones I have seen. I didn’t see Ion Țiriac, I think he was the same.
– Not really.
– I think that Ion Țiriac also has a dose of madness, at least that’s how I saw it. And Simona Halep. I think the emotions come from the culture, it seems to me that Romanian players put a lot of passion into the game of tennis. Which I like.
– Who do you think will finish first in the world?
– I see Novak Djokovic in first place, in men’s, he won the last three Grand Slam tournaments, but he did not play brilliantly in between. Victory in Madrid will make the difference, win the French Open. It is starting to return to the shape it had 3 or 4 years ago. You can’t really beat Novak Djokovic.
– Can he reach 20 Grand Slam tournaments won?
– Of course, if he maintains his physical condition and stays as involved, he will win more than 20. But let’s not forget that everything can change. You wake up one morning and say, “ Oh, I don’t want to play tennis anymore . “ We don’t know when that day will come.
– Regardless of the sport, we are talking about great champions like Federer, Djokovic, but we are also talking about Ronaldo, Messi, great athletes. Why do these people, who have made a lot of money, continue to play at the highest level?
– We cannot see why they have become so good at the sport they play. When you become a superstar like they are, it becomes an addiction to win and perform in front of people. Being the best does not mean being the best in the world. It means being your best self. He has to play at a certain level, have a certain success. We have Federer as an example of comparison. He’s not the best anymore, he doesn’t win anymore, but he’s still there. He knows that he has reached 38 years old, he has 4 children, he has many businesses around tennis. What he wants most now is not to be as good as he was. He wants, however, from him to be as good as he can be, at his age. It’s the same with Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods, Messi, Mohammad Ali, LeBron James. Mohammad Ali has been boxing for a long time, there is something that guides these people, something that we cannot see.
– Have you seen the semi-finals of the Champions League, Liverpool – Tottenham, do you know the final of the Champions League?
– I’m a big Leeds fan, I’ve always been, maybe they can promote.
– Everyone is rooting for Liverpool, everyone is rooting for Federer.
There is something emotional about Liverpool, about the fans of this club. Everyone wants Liverpool to win, except perhaps Manchester United fans.
– Three favorites at Roland Garros this year, men’s and women’s.
– The men’s is classic: Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Dominik Thiem.
– Can Rafa Nadal do it again?
– Obviously he can, he already played much better in Madrid, he is 32 years old, soon to be 33. He doesn’t have to win every tournament to have a chance at Roland Garros. Yes, at 3 sets out of 5, it will be difficult to beat him. For women, the three favorites are quite obvious: Simona Halep, first, Naomi Osaka, second. Then I think it’s Sloane Stephens. He demonstrated in the Grand Slam tournaments. I think these are my three favorites.
– No chance for Serena?
I don’t think he can win the tournament but I think he can beat all three favorites. I would, however, be very surprised if he wins 7 matches on clay. He will win another Grand Slam, but not the French Open.
