TENNIS Feliciano López: “I miss tennis because I didn’t end up burned”

After 26 seasons as a professional, Feliciano López hung up his racket in June at the age of 41, with seven singles titles and six doubles titles, another 22 finals and 766 victories. In his long career he touched the Top-10 (12th in 2015) and accumulated records. He is the tennis player with the most Davis Cup Salad Bowls (five, like Nadal). He is also the one who has played the most Grand Slams (81), Masters 1,000 (139) and ATP 500 (97) for a record of 486 tournaments. At home, surrounded by trophies and memories, he sits down with AS, who is rewarding his career, to chat about his new life and tennis, of course.

Do you miss tennis?

Yes, because you’ve been doing something your whole life and I really liked it. I miss competing, which I love, and I no longer have that and I know I will never have it again; the adrenaline, being aware of who you are playing against, what tournament you are going to, the rankings. I had not ended up burned, on the contrary, I enjoyed it. But I was also aware that it was going to end and I’m not traumatized. Having a good taste in my mouth makes me miss it a little more.

And what do you feel when you watch a game now, in the stands? Do you have reflexes like trying to hit the ball?

(Series) No, I experience it differently, with another perspective, because it doesn’t affect me in the same way. I have never watched much tennis on TV, and now I try, if I can and have the opportunity, to watch a match that interests me more. For example, in Turin, I saw a bit of the Rublev-Medvedev, and the Sinner-Djokovic final. I watch more live tennis when I am in Madrid or at the Davis Cup, but it is true that things no longer affect you in the same way.

It must be strange, after so many years of tennis routines, not to do them now…

That’s what costs the most, adapting to your new life; all the things you had to do for tennis, suddenly you don’t have to do them anymore. So, filling all that time with others is not easy. Before, I had a purpose, to be in shape, to try to improve. Everything was for and by tennis. Now I have a happy life, but it is very different, much calmer. I try to go to the gym and when I have the opportunity to play a little tennis, I train, but it is difficult to find motivation without such a clear goal.

How has it been this year in the offices?

I have been a little more involved in the Madrid tournament (he is the director of the Mutua Open), doing more things during the year, because I played very little. Now I can dedicate even more time to it, but you always learn. This course was a big challenge, because it was the first year that it lasted two weeks, and the change is quite important, although it may not seem like it, it is like a Grand Slam. I think it turned out very well. In 2024, with everything we have learned, we will try to make it even better.

And as a commentator?

I did a little bit at Wimbledon, which I had already done last year at the BBC. I did it again for a few days, and then in New York for Sky and, honestly, it was great. BBC was a total discovery, by my classmates, people I admired a lot when I was little. I was once with John McEnroe in the cabin.

Would you like to do something on television, like your wife on Masterchef?

I don’t know if they’ll see me on Masterchef, but it’s one of the few programs you can watch on TV. I lived it intensely with her (Sandra Gago), because she cooked well. It is also a reality show and when you go there you know that, apart from the kitchen, other things are involved, but it was a very nice experience for her. I did Mask Singer last year and had a great time. It was very worth it even though I was only able to attend two programs because I had to go play in Mexico.

Returning to tennis, do you think that the issue of ball changes is the reason why there are many injuries? Was the same thing happening in your time?

It’s not a new thing, it’s happened a lifetime. Worse. In the last seven, eight years, people have always complained, but the complaints have increased and attempts have been made to ensure that in tournaments that are played very close together or on a tour, the ball is the same. It is a problem that has to be fixed, because it is important, but not the only reason for injuries. The calendar is the other. They try to shorten it, but the players, in their rest period, go to play in China, Saudi Arabia, South America, which I have done too, it is not a criticism, but sometimes we have to be consistent and rest. There are also more and more commercial commitments, which 25 years ago were smaller. The season was ending and there were two or three months with practically nothing. An attempt is being made to protect the player more in that sense. Although tennis is a very complex sport, there are many interested parties and it is very difficult to get everyone to agree.

Does all this make tennis worse than before?

I have only lived a demanding schedule. Some older colleagues from Bruguera’s time, Emilio Sánchez Vicario… a little earlier, they did not go to Australia, for example, because the Grand Slams were not mandatory, nor were the Masters 1,000, there was a ranking by average, which scored only the tournaments in which you played well. But I think that the average level of tennis is very different from what it was before, not because of the calendar issue, but because it is played very differently. People are much stronger physically, rackets have evolved a lot, nowadays everyone hits the ball ten times harder, that is the main evolution for me. And the slowdown of fast tracks in general. The thing is that the surfaces are very slow, much more than clay, which is faster than some indoor tournaments. Everything has slowed down a lot, even the grass. That’s why everyone plays more or less with the same style. The beauty of tennis for me was that there were ground and grass specialists, more variety. It was attractive to the fan, because there was a lot of diversity. That’s getting lost a little.

Alcaraz said that he had understood that a professional’s season runs from January to November and that he had disconnected a little before. What do you think?

The thing is that he plays every week at an enormously demanding level. When you aspire to be in the finals or win the tournaments, it is different and much more stressful than it can be for most. His comment is the result of learning. He’s only 20 years old, sometimes we forget that. Furthermore, he plays with a lot of intensity, he needs to be fresh, have spark. He cannot achieve great results in a more diesel mode, like Djokovic, who sometimes starts matches at a slow pace, until he finds his moment and is already invincible. Maybe what has happened to him is that at the end of the year he has not felt as comfortable, as fresh, it is normal. Because it has happened to everyone, until they learn and get to know each other. Carlos still does not have a database large enough to say here yes, here no, I’ll get ready here, I’ll leave this… It’s very complicated. And everything that is happening to him, what he is experiencing so soon… It is a tsunami that comes into your life at 20 years old and it is difficult to manage it. That’s why I give so much credit to what he’s doing. Because he doesn’t scare him, he has enough maturity to assimilate it, the courage to face Djokovic, who is the best player, for many, in history, without fear.

Do those who know about tennis, like you, see that Carlitos is going to go very far?

At his age he has already won two Grand Slams and has been number one. He is one of those players that comes out every few years. But of course, we tend to compare him with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. People don’t realize what they’ve done. What happens, if Alcaraz wins 15 Slams it won’t be that big of a deal? The thing is that, until recently, Sampras was 14 and an uncle from Manacor arrived and won 14 in it. I have lived this time. I have played against them. What has happened is not going to be repeated, the probability is very low. McEnroe, Becker, Lendl, Agassi, Sampras, Laver, what are they, some packages? We have to do an exercise in pedagogy and say, hey, it’s unreal to see a Michael Jordan, three of them together every 15 years. Alcaraz is incredibly good. I have no explanation for those three. How do you tell someone who dreams of being a tennis player, of winning a major, that there is a guy, Nadal, who has won Roland Garros 14 times. Let’s enjoy Alcaraz, his career. And if he wins 10, 12 or 13, time will tell. But let’s value what he has done. I have not seen a player his age play so well, I don’t know if Federer at 20 years old played like Carlos.

Speaking of legends, it seems that Nadal will return in Australia. What does he know and what does he think?

I was just as worried as everyone. But, since a few months, things have been very different. He has made a lot of progress with the injury and is very happy and eager to return. His intention is to go to Australia. A tremendous joy. A player like Rafa is missed. As a fan, you don’t know how much longer Djokovic is going to be; Rafa is not there and Federer retired. There is an important void, which Alcaraz fills for the moment. Medvedev has also been successful and Sinner, next year, be careful… But that does not mean that the void is very big. I hope Rafa arrives in Paris well enough to compete against anyone. I still have faith in seeing him win another Roland Garros. And there are also some Olympic Games there, in the garden of his house…

Will you continue as director of the Davis Cup Finals?

I do not know yet. There is a will for it to continue. The ITF people are happy with my work.

Are you satisfied with this year’s Finals?

They have gone very well indeed. There has been a lot of controversy with the new format these last five years, a lot of change. Lots of criticism. But even though the ITF found itself with the departure of Kosmos from the equation and with a competition whose organization they had to take charge of, they did a great job. The issue of the Finals of Eight, I think that the new format is what is becoming the most established. People, little by little, are understanding that at the end of the year there is something there, where if you want to go see your country for two or three days, you can plan it with a little time. The atmosphere that I experienced in Malaga these days was very beautiful, of the Davis Cup, fans, involved public, court filled with the emotion of the anthems and that tension typical of the usual competition. The format can be improved, but for now it will be played like this in 2024. Although they are open to continuing to explore formulas to make the format better. The only problem is that, in the group stages, when the host country is not playing, it is more difficult to fill the court. A lot of work is also being done so that the federations, not only the country that organizes, attract audiences from their countries, but also with tour operators and interesting packages.

Do you dream of seeing Alcaraz and Nadal together with Spain?

I commented the other day to David (Ferrer, Spanish captain), ‘next year I see you raising the cup with Rafa and Carlos.’ It is my sports dream of 2024.

Will Alcaraz or any player win five Davises like you?

Above all, the four titles in which I played the final, I feel like something very special. To me it is a competition that seems impressive and I think it is worth everyone’s effort. It is important to work so that young people can experience the emotions that we experience; and when they feel them, they will want to play.