Карлос Мартинес: что на самом деле происходит за кулисами большого тенниса

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Hello and welcome to the First&Red channel. My name is Anna Chakvetadze. Today we're joined by Carlos Martinez, the coach of Diana Shnaider. Hi, Carlos. Hello, how are you? Good, long time no see. Yes, long time. I was a little bit out of the tour for the last couple of years, maybe one year and a half. Oh, it's all right. Tell me, please, Carlos, do people still say you look like Roger Federer? Yes, many people tell me this. Many people tell me this. I don't know why, but I think that is more beautiful than me. Carlos, why do you think there have been so many upsets at Wimbledon this year? So many top seats lost on the first week. Yes, yes, yes, yes. I think that the reason why they lost, first of all, because it's the surface. We cannot forget that the grass is one surface that normally during the year the players don't play much. And the game is a little bit different. So I think that it's normal that in this slam, for the last couple of years, many results, it was so surprising, no? But, I don't know, at the end, the top players, they have a big expectation of this tournament, but also the other players, they make it very good and they put many troubles for the top players. So, yeah, it's not a surprise for me at the end. Carlos, you worked with so many Russian players, with Svetlana Kuznetsova, Daria Kasatkina. Are they different from players from other countries? Okay, yes. First of all, because the Russian players, for me, they have a super good character to compete. Honestly, I like how they are. I like this fire, this rage that they have inside. And it makes a difference between the East players than players from the other countries. For example, the Spanish players or the Italian players or the Latin in general or American, for example. So yes, in my opinion, they have this gen who make these players from the East a little bit different than the others. They are very good competitors. You coached Svetlana Kuznetsova for a very long time. And as I know, you stayed very good friends. What helped that relationship to last so long? Yes, I don't know, because I know Svetlana since she's 14, 15, when she was a player in Sanchez Casal Academy. So since that time I knew her, not very good. But then when I started working with her, the truth is like we make a very healthy relationship, not just as a... as a tennis coach. If not that, also like a good friend because of course, also we were having many experiences together. And also after finishing tennis, we're still in touch so often. Last year, in August, I was in Moscow. I was with Sveta for 10 days. So yes, I love her so much. She was super good. super good player and as a person as well she's very very nice and and and i like to be close to her how do you think how important is that personal connection between player and the coach it's very very important first of all because you have to spend many hours together in the tour as you as you know better than me because you were very good player as well you have to spend many hours not just on court of course because you are you are In the hotels, you are every single week traveling around the world with the planes, many hours in the airports, many hours in the hotels. So at the end, for me, it's super important to have this connection with the player. If you want to make a good job on court, off court, you have to feel this good connection and also that player trusts you. First of all, if you trust the person, you have more chances to trust the professional. of the coach, you know. So that's why for me it's very important this connection and then if there is something that you can, I don't know, if you are not agree or at the end you have different points of views, just talking you can find a way how to make it work and this is the key for me for success, for the player and also for the coach. Tennis players were asked so many times what is the toughest part of their job. But could you tell us what is the toughest part of your job being a coach on the tour? Well, okay. So at the end, of course, the main thing is because you have to be far from your family. This one is for me the most difficult thing. Because the coaches normally, all of us, we are married. Most of us also we have kids and to be far from them is not easy because you have to travel many weeks during the year. And at the end for me, this one is the most difficult part. Also, when you are in the competition, of course, you feel also the pressure. It's not the same pressure that the player has. But at the end also you have this feeling inside that you want the best for your player. And then when the player is winning, also you feel that you are part of this victory. But also when the player is losing, you feel a little bit also guilty that you couldn't do more than you did. So at the end, this is for me the most difficult part of our job. But honestly, I job this pressure. I enjoy with the pressure because I like competition. I am very ambitious and also when I try to make this connection with the player, I feel like the player has more support, let's say. But at the end it's a very nice job for me, in my opinion. I don't feel like it's very tough except for this part. You couldn't stay away from competition for too long, but you had a little gap. Why did it happen? Okay, at the end, after being traveling for many years with Svetlana first, then with Dasha, I started working with one player, with Clara Tausson, but after a few months, my brain and my body told me like, okay, you need a break because also it's time to be with the family. It's time to make a break, to land in my place. Also, I cannot forget that I have my... My priority is also my academy here in Barcelona since 2013. And also I needed to make this break, to be a little bit far, to also to know exactly what I wanted to do. Also, I wanted to help the players that I have here. Also, I have many Russian girls here. Could you name them? Yes, of course. One is Alina Charaeva. It's one girl who is with us since 2018, I think, like seven, eight years. Also, I have some juniors. Maybe this one is the best junior, the best Russian that we have. Also, I have one girl, Lina Aglusko, that is from Israel. And also, I felt that I wanted to be part of their progress, let's say, like this, to help them in this way. And that's why also I decided to stay here for this year, year and a half till I got this call from Diana. And then that's why I start again in the tour. And yeah, I'm very happy to back. In your view, what makes someone a really good coach and why there are so few of them on the tour? This is a not easy question to answer because I know that there are coaches who are following different methodologies and different philosophies. But at the end, for me, the key is, in my opinion, you have to be humble people, ready to be in any level. Because in my opinion, some coaches, they want just to be there because they want to be in the top level. And no matter if the player is going to unrespect, you know, it's going to... and treat you wrong or treat you bad. They want to stay there. For me, one good coach is the coach who has his own philosophy, his own principles, who has respect for everyone, who is hard worker, who doesn't matter what time is, no matter which day is on the week. So you have to be ready always to help. And also you are ready to help not just the top players. You have to be ready to help. all the players around that they are working with you, you know? So this one for me, it's the most important thing is if you want to be a top player, this is my advice when I'm working with young coaches. It's like, hey man, no matter who are you working with, try to do your best, try to save every single day, try to make this player being better every single day. And like this, you have chances one day to be in the tour. But... They are also this lucky part of being a good coach, that also it counts, you know. Juan Carlos Ferreira said that very often was late for practice. And that's why he left the team. What is your big red flags? First of all, I cannot say anything against Esvere because he's a great player, a great athlete. First of all, I have all my respect. I cannot say anything about Juan Carlos Ferrero because also he has a great career. Every single player, every single coach has his own way. Of course, I think that if you want to be in the top player and also when you are in this top level, The small details, it makes a big difference. So, for example, this one that, okay, for example, you have to be on time every single day or you have this discipline is going to be super important. It has to be super important for, not just because you are late, it's because you are showing that the most important thing for you is to be on time, to have your things already, to have your rackets, to have your back, to have your shoes, everything. so the discipline is one of the things more important if you want to be a top athlete so this is for me one one thing that it's for me has to be like mandatory for the players of course could you name uh three top three the top three uh best coaches uh on the tour wow wow wow wow look you know what happened that i cannot tell you much about the coaches because i have i i am worried about myself because i am trying to be better you know to be better in myself to try to improve every single day but who do you who do you learn from i learn i learn a lot from one spanish coach who also is better knows very well because she was working with him is antonio hernandez but he passed away like six seven years ago Also, I have one good reference as a coach. He was Francis Lodge, that he's still in the tour. He's a Spanish coach. Who is he coaching now? He's coaching this Qian Zheng, the Chinese. He's helping. He was working with Rafa Nadal like 17 years. So it's very, very good coach. Also, I like a lot Darren Cahill. I listen many times the interviews that I watch also when he's posting something in the social media. I like to listen because he's a very experienced coach. And not many, not many more. For sure, I always put my eye. When I am in the tournaments and I go to watch and I am, yes, when I'm watching some practices, I pay attention to what the coaches say to the players. And always you can improve a lot. You can learn one from this guy, one learn from this guy. Also, not just in the top level, because also here in the national tournaments, you can see people working very good and also you can improve from all of them. Why are there so many male coaches rather than female coaches? I don't know. For example, in my opinion, in my opinion, and some girls, of course, they prefer to work with girls, which is normal as well. But in general... The tennis players, as a woman, they have a little bit less confidence. And maybe this figure like the men, they respect a little bit more or they can give them more confidence. You know, if the coach is like, I would say strict, but more serious, not strict, serious, and he tried to listen a lot, the player, and he tried to convince the player talking in the right way. I think that it's very good for the girls, you know. And that's why, maybe because of this reason, there are more men than women. But also there are women that are doing very well. And little by little, you can find in the tour more girls. So, yeah. We always hear that tennis players work so hard almost every week, it's been told. But are there any lazy ones on the tour? And do they really work that hard? All of them. They work hard. They work hard. The truth is like, at the end, they got the level working very hard during the years. But then for me, the difference is the quality of the practices. So at the end, the amount of hours maybe is not that much, because maybe they practice a little bit less, but the quality and the intensity is a bit higher. Who makes the difference? There are many people, for example, who come here to my academy and they tell me, no, Carlos, I'm working six hours a day, seven hours a day, eight hours a day. I said, wow, eight hours a day for me is impossible. No chance. Because if you work with high intensity and you work with good quality, more than two, three hours a day, you cannot handle it. But is it true that in Spain they actually train like for six hours? No, it's not true. It's not true. It's not true. Little by little also here. Before, when I was a player, yes, because it was another methodology. Okay, but now the truth is like, for example, me, I'm working, for me, two hours in the morning plus fitness and one more hour in the afternoon is more than enough. If you do it well, if you do a good quality and high intensity, it's more than enough for me. Of course, if you are not doing well, you can practice five hours, but these five hours are not efficient. So at the end, you have to try to work consistent every single day this amount of time. Because like this, you're going to get the results. This is my opinion. This is how I worked the last 15 years. And I think that it was working well. It works well. But, of course, every single one has their own philosophy or methodology. But this one in Spain is very common. I don't know if you are aware of Goran Ivanisevic. He made some hard comments on his prayer. Do you think it's okay? Well, first of all, I don't know if they're still working. Yes, they're still working. They're still working because after what happens there in Wimbledon... In my opinion, this is my personal opinion, I will not talk like this from my player. First of all, because I will say always, if I have something wrong with my player, I'm going to keep it for me and for him. I will not talk openly, you know. And I think that this one can hurt your player. Okay, because the comments that Goran was talking about... On that time, on that moment, it was not the right time. This is my opinion. Because I know that he retired after two sets. I know that he was not in the best moment of his career. So that's why that interview on that moment maybe was not on the right moment. But I don't know, maybe he did because he expected some reaction from him. I don't know. You never know. Could you tell us a little bit about how did it all start with Diana Shnaider? Who reached out to whom? Did she call you first? Well, I think that we were talking, yes, first. I don't remember exactly how it was. Because before Roland and Ross, we started talking, like maybe we can start working. I know Diana because Diana was in my academy like three years ago. When I was traveling with Dasha, and then we were talking about a couple of things, maybe to start a collaboration, but at that time it wasn't possible because I was busy or I couldn't, I don't remember. And then this time, I don't remember honestly who was calling first. uh but then the truth is like we were talking we agreed to start after Roland Garros and this is what we did we started in Queens and and now we have this collaboration but did you agree straight away or you had some doubts no no no no i have no doubts no doubts because first of all for me it's important the person how is the person if the person i like i'm gonna start working because this one for me is super important because at the end I don't like to practice with people or work with people that I feel like we have no good connection. With Diana, from the first contact, I felt very good connection. And that's why for me it was no doubt. I wanted to face this nice project because for me it's a very good project. So let's see how it works. Would you practice together in Spain? Now we are planning to go to Canada. Next week or next week, we don't know yet. We are planning now how to do it. For sure, she went home for a few days to rest with the family. And then we will talk about how to do it. And then we're going to go to the American swing. Who else is Indiana's team beside you? Does she have a fitness coach? She has a fitness coach. I didn't meet already with him and me. For the moment, it's a family, very important for me, and then a fitness coach and me. Did it concern you a bit that she switched coaches pretty often? Listen, for me, the past is the past. I don't know what they did before, why they stopped, why not. It's not one thing that I'm concerned, honestly. I am very happy with her. This is what I know. I feel, or this is what I think, that we have very good connection. We can talk super open, super honest, both of us. Honestly, I don't know what happened in the past. And my job is to try to make my job the best that I can do. And then we will see if the results are going, if she's happy or not. And then we will see. I don't know. You work so much with Russian players and you're working with Diana now. Do you understand any Russian or know any Russian words? I understand some Russian words. Of course, the bad words for sure. Who told you? I know, Svetlana Koznetsov. No, no, no, Svetlana, no, but in the tour, because I started listening in Russian since 2000. 2000 maybe, yes, because I started, when my first Russian player, it was Timurashgavashvili. Timurashgavashvili in 2000 or 2001. So imagine how many words I learned from that time. How many bad words I learned. No, some sentences maybe I understand, but no, it's very difficult for me. Honestly, I am not very smart for the languages. But could you say something? Like, not a bad word, but... No, привет, как дела? Хорошо, спасибо. These typical words that I'm using sometimes when I'm working with some... Nogi, Nogi, Nogi. This one is very important for me. Nogi, Nogi is very important. And then, no, not many. Not many. Sometimes if I listen, I recognize some words, but now I cannot tell you anything, honestly. Probably you will... You will speak some Russian after you work with Diana Shnaider. Hopefully, yes. Hopefully, yes. He will teach me a little bit. Carlos, thank you very much for your time. All the best. Thank you so much. At the US Open and the rest of the tour. Okay. Thank you so much. Bye-bye. Thank you. Bye-bye.