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Hello guys! I dropped by the other day and saw that you were eager to read that Dani article in Forbes, but couldn't access it. Since I didn't have much to do anyway I decided to help you out a bit by translating it and posting it here(I hope that it's the right thread).
THE WORLD-FAMOUS SLOVAK
She has made her name a trademark. Famous in Japan, the rest of Asia, Australia and California. With looks and body of a model, she's been inside the Top 10 in the world. Daniela Hantuchova turned 33 in April and even though she never expected it, she's still playing tennis professionally. At the same time she's gradually starting another career - she has several business plans as well as some offers to become a tournament director of some prestigious tournaments.
Do you still enjoy tennis?
I certainly do. It is the only reason why I haven't retired yet. I want to get better and play more matches while I am still quite healthy. It is all thanks to advances in physiotherapy. It's advanced so much since the time players had to retire at the age of 26 or 27. And to call it a career just because I haven't had great results lately? I don't feel like it!
You used to be one of the very best, but nowadays you are outside of the Top 200 and you participate in ITF tournaments. How do you perceive that?
I don't think about it at all. It is all about a tennis match. Courts, net and balls are of the same size everywhere. I love tennis and I don't really care about the ranking nor do I care about the level of tournaments I participate in.
How much more painful is it to play tennis in the 30's than in the early 20's?
Your body regenerates differently, more slowly and you can do very little about it. When I was 18, I was angry that I had a day off at Grand Slams. I thought they could make those tournaments last shorter. That's also part of the reason why I would play doubles as well. But it's completely different now. I am grateful for any day off when I can just relax. I am rather shocked to see that these days, some 20-year-old tennis players are exhausted after just 1 hour of play. Martina Hingis and I have agreed that the amount of training our generation was used to is incomparable with the amount of training today.
How many hours a day did you use to practise?
At least 5 hours of tennis plus 2 more hours of physio - that was a must. But it also comes down to the way tennis has changed. It is more about intensity, speed and power. Rallies don't usually last longer than 2 or 3 shots.
Is it a different sport now?
Definitely in some aspects, for instance in speed. 10 years ago, I had 'half a day' just to decide what shot to play next (smiling). If you don't play automatically and instinctively nowadays, you have no chance whatsoever.
And the competition is stronger too, isn't it?
Surely. But having said that, I think that the quality of the Top 10 was in a different league in my days. I don't mean to disrespect anyone, but it certainly lacks personalities it once had, Serena Williams being just one exception.
Does it ever occur to you that maybe the end is near?
I don't know how far it is; it doesn't occur to me yet. But if it crosses my mind one day, I will probably hang up the racquet. I am only active in singles now as I am getting busier with my business activities.
What business activities do you have?
Plenty of them. Tennis has given me professionality, self-discipline - traits which I can utilise somewhere else too. But I am aware of the fact that I am starting from scratch. I believe that tennis players and sportspeople in general are rather naive because we expect to be welcomed with open arms wherever we turn up. But nothing could be further from the truth. One has to work hard for everything. I have a lot of ideas, but I will have to wait and see how it all turns out.
In fashion, in other fields as well. I have my own charitable foundation, which is one of my priorities. I am still a professional tennis player so I don't have much time to devote to other activities simultaneously. They all take up as much time as my career does. But as I have said, I have a lot of ideas and offers. I have been offered by some tournaments to become their director. I have also been offered to do some TV commenting, which I would enjoy as well.
What tournaments have you been addressed by?
I can't tell you yet. All I can say is that they are prestigious.
When would you like to launch your business?
During my career in order to have something to devote my time to immediately after retiring. It is quite bad when a sportsperson retires with no clear vision for the future. Tennis has given me a lot, but I want to prove to myself that I am up to other things as well.
Could you be more exact as to when you would like to start that business?
If all goes well, withing a few months even. But I don't like talking about things too far ahead; it's as if I was already talking about a victory while being just halfway through a match. And besides, I am quite superstitious when it comes to these things.
What do you do with all the money you have earned?
As a child, my only dream was to play at the Olympics and I didn't even have a clue that it was possible to make a living playing tennis. I am glad that my attitude and values haven't changed - tennis is still a hobby for me and I have never treated it as a financial opportunity. Maybe that's why I managed to succeed. Of course, you may think to yourself that it is easy for me to say... I am thankful that tennis has brought me money, but it's never been a priority of mine. I have people who take care of my finances. And on a lighter note, the only thing that matters to me right now is that my debit cards still work perfectly well (smiling).
But since the very beginning of your career, you have been creating your own trademark 'Hantuchová'.
And I am grateful for that to my agents who worked for me, especially when I'd taken off. Everything came so fast, out of the blue and I had no experience. Agencies like IMG or Octagon which represented me did a very good job. It wasn't all roses for them with me - I picked the offers I'd been given very carefully. We decided to accept fewer offers than others, but all of them were of high quality.
When did you get your first endorsement deal?
When I was 13, I think. It was from Nike. And one year afterwards, I made a contract with IMG.
Do you have a special contract which you value the most?
I am immensely grateful for all of them. I brought the house down in Japan and I don't even know why. I think that I reminded them of Pocahontas. I did commecrials for various computer games. It was fun. I was 18 at that time. All it took was to turn up, play X-Box for a while and then take some photos and smile. I am also happy for the opportunity to be featured on the front page of Sport Illustrated or doing photos for ESPN. Or my first fashion parade... I was 18 and I was invited to an exhibition in Dublin with Kournikova, Capriati or the Williams sisters. At first we played and then we had the fashion parade. Tyra Banks came as well. She 'decorated' us with diamonds worth of God-knows how much millions of dollars and there were around 10 thousand people watching us. It was the first time that I'd walked on the catwalk not knowing what I was doing. Great experience, but the only thing I had on my mind at the time was tennis, tennis, only tennis.
You've mentioned that it wasn't all roses for the agents with you. How do you mean it?
I used to decline a lot of offers. The key problem was that each sponsored required approximately 6-8 photoshoots a year. I would have had to take flights all around the world. Some players were willing to accept that, but I was simply too stubborn - I definitely could have been less, I suppose.
How did it actually work? Did you say to yourself that in the next season you would play, say, 25 tournaments and when you had free time, you would have to go to the USA to fulfill your obligations...
... exactly. I still remember being bothered by the fact that there were times when I didn't even have time to practise during tournaments. I had to give interviews, do photoshoots and on top of that there was always a heap of duties required by WTA. I turned up at a tournament and found 20 activities in my e-mail that I just had to make. It sucked energy out of me and I was unhappy as a result of that because I was there to play tennis in the first place. It took some time to get accustomed to.
How many people did you have in your entourage?
I had my mother, father, brother or all of them at the same time travel with me. Other people in my team were my coachand my trainer Physiotherapists weren't 'in' back then so instead of him my agent travelled with me. Agents are very important for tennis players. The whole career can sometimes depend on them. They, for example, choose coaches for the player. They sometimes recommend coaches they are friends with even though they don't know what to do with you as a player. As if the agents sometimes forget that the worse the results for their player, the lower their own income.
You've changed a lot of coaches in your career.
I was very lucky to meet my very first agent, Fabio from IMG. He knew what coached could be good for me very well. He also chose coaches for Sampras, Ivanisevic and Chang. Then he left IMG. Now I regret having been a little bit too naive and having believed my agents too much. I would always rely on them and their advice. When they found a coach for me, I would always take him on. But hiring a new coach is like going into a partnership and you don't quite know what to expect. You sign a one-year contract but sometimes it takes you a few momths to find out more about their qualities. And I also regret trusting coaches just because they were famous.
How do you use social networks. You seem to be quite active...
Yes, I am, but because I have to. I had a talk with my agent a few months ago and he told me that whatever I wanted to do, also in business, it was important that I was on social networks. It all comes to me like... What for? Why? Who could be interested in what I had for lunch? I am a totally different generation. I didn't even know how Facebook or Instagram worked - they had to teach me all of that.
Are you interested in what's written about you?
I still keep in mind a lesson Virginia Wade taught me. I was playing in England. One day I was having breakfast and at the same time I was enthusiastically reading about myself in Daily Mirror. She approchaed me and asked, "What are you doing?" I was like, "I am reading about myself; I am on the front page," to which she replied, "Forget vrey quickly, whether it's bad or good that they are writing about you. It is not real. Only you know what you give to tennis. If they praise you, you are too self-confident, and on the other hand, if they write something negative about you, you take it way too personally."
When were you given this lesson?
When I was about 20 years old. I try to hold on to it. But I admit it, I did read something sometimes... And then I felt like quitting (smiling).
And did you have a period when you really wanted to end your career?
No, I didn't. It may cross your mind when you have injuries, but I haven't had a serious crisis.
Did you expect to still be playing after turning 30 when you were at the beginning of your career?
No. I always made jokes about those who continued playing into their 30's. But even though the results aren't as good as they could be, it is a pleasant surprise that I still play.
What plans did you have then? Once I am 30, I will...
... I will have become a mother and I will be living with my husband somewhere in Toscania. And the second child will be on its way.
Is Toscania your favourite place?
Hm. Italy in general. I especially love Rome.
No, because I would always make jokes of those who continued playing after turning 30. I'd say to myself, "Once I am 30, no more tennis in any case." But that's life. Of course, the results aren't as bright as I would like them to be, but just the fact alone that I am still out there playing is a pleasant surprise.
It is a good place to 'get lost', right?
Exactly! I can have a cup of coffee without anyone recognising me.
Are most of your fans from Italy?
I'd say that they are mostly from California, Australia, Asia, especially Japan, Pattaya or Bali. Maybe even from germany where I have played a lot of torunaments, from New York as well. By the way, since you have asked me about commecrials which I have done, maybe the most beautiful one was in New York for American Express. They were a sponsor of the US Open and I had a big bilboard near the Rockefeller Center - Andre Aggassi on on side, me on the other one. And our photos were in buses and the underground too.
The countries where you are popular aren't very geographically related - California, Asia...
California because I have always played well in Indian Wells. Japan maybe because I played doubles with Ai Sugiyama for a long time. Who knows, rumour has it that I have som many fans there owing to my height. There were times when Sugi and I were featured in Japanese media all the time. She would always let me know where we were just being featured. Of course, she helped my popularity a lot as well.
Do you want to launch your business in these countries?
I would definitely like to think globally. But for now I am being very modest about it; there is still a lot to be done.
Monte Carlo is your residence. Do you remember why you chose it?
When I was 18, we were looking for a quiet place where I could have some respite from everything. It was all so much for me that I just wanted a place where I could practise. There are so many interesting people in Monte Carlo that nobody has time to care about you. Naturally, it was also quite convenient from the financial point of view, although the costs of living are fairly high there. It was always necessary to count whether it was profitable. Now it maybe doesn't even make sense financially to reside there. But I have already grown used to the place and we go there also with my family frequently. We like it a lot.
So you spend most of your free time in Monte Cralo, don't you?
Especially when I need to practise or when I have more free days off the office.
Have you earned more money in prize money or endorsements?
I definitely think that after so many years as a professional tennis player, in prize money for sure.
Do you also have a residence in Toscania or are you just looking out for something right now?
I am looking out for something, quite actively to be honest. I have always thought that Toscania is the right place for me. I've been there so many times on holiday and for a few times I've started to doubt a bit that maybe it would start boring me after a few months. probably as I am used to such a hectic life style I seek serenity. That's why Rome is so good - because there is always a little bit of chaos as well. It is probably the best if you don't live right in the centre, but in the suburbs. And at the end of the day, it's within a driving distance from Toscania. Its location is perfect and Slovakia is quite close too.
What do you like the most about Italy?
Men? (smiling) To be straghtforward about it. On a serious note, people always wonder whether I don't mind the caos as a perfectionist. And I always tell them that I don't intend to go there to do business. I like their life style; the fact that they don't care about problems. They always say 'domani' (tomorrow) to problems. It is just for me. I always absorb so much energy when I am there. They are so positive and I feel relieved.
Are Italian men so charismatic?
Yes, they are. Even though it is quite complicated with them, I like them. I may just have a crush on them.
When did you visit Italy for the first time?
When I was 12. I immediately told my parents that I would live there one day. It was right in Rome, near Forum Romanum. I remember it as if it had just happened. I could see myself living there in the future.
Were you playing at a tournament?
No, it was just a holiday. We threw a coing in the fountain so that we would come back. And we have (smiling).
Do you ever consider studying at a university? You were accepted but tennis took precedence...
I am the only one without a diploma in my family. It was a big topic back then. I seriously considered it and I wanted to study when i was 18, but everything was just going smoothly in tennis so it didn't work out. But we'll see how things unfold. Never say never. We will see how the business goes, but I could certainly imagine myself at Stanford or such.
What kind of studies?
Management most likely. (smiling) To manage and give orders to others. Just joking. I have been active in business so I sometimes contemplate something like that. And when I see those agents doing their job, it is no rocket science.
So it could be real that you might be a tournament director, couldn't it?
Certainly. But on the other hand, I am a perfectionist, so should I do that, it would have to be done precisely. So I told them that it was out of question while still being a tennis player. Directing a tournament requires focus all year long. I might just come somewhere, turn up there and give my name to the tournament, but I don't want that. If I were to do that job, I would devote myself to it.
What does a tournament director do?
When it's a big tournament, like Tier I, they try to get sponsors, they have to trave to all Grand Slams to lobby and keep contacts. Moreover, it is not easy to get sponsors after the recession. But I think that I might enjoy doing it.
Does a top tennis player have to be wary of people who would like to exploit him/her?
Frankly speaking, you only deal with final products which first go through your agents's or lawyers' hands. I only needed to keep in mind how many photoshoots I was requird to do and how much time it would take. Others things were dealt by agents, parents, lawyers. It really helped me.
You were accompanied by your mother for a long time. What is it like when a parent travels with a professional tennis player?
I am immensely grateful to her for that. I wouldn't be talking to your right now had it not been for her sacrifice. She had to leave her job, travel with me when I was 13 and went to the Bollettieri's where I would practise from dawn to dusk. It was very tough for her - she was estranged and alienated from the rest of the family and her friends. The sacrifice that a family has to make is something that other people can't even imagine. She was there to protect me from the whole circuit and the chaos. My father and brother tried to be with us as often as possible, although it was very demanding financially.
Do you still play the piano?
I play a bit sometimes. But not so often or so well any more.
What music do you like?
Since I mostly played classical music at school, I like Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. I found Beethoven easiest to learn; on the other hand, Bach was a tough nut to crack. I didn't go to concerts to watch or listen but to perform. Those were nerves! Playing at Wimbledon was a walk in the park compared to that. I was always afraid of forgetting; of sitting down there in front of the audience and all of a sudden getting a total blackout.
Until when did you play?
All the way through elementary school. And then they wanted me to go to conservatorium. My piano teacher was always angry when I had clay behing my nails.
Let's get back to tennis - you were number 5 in the world. What were you missing to become number 1?
Funny that you're asking me today. I have just talked about it to an acquaintance of mine. Self-confidence. The only thing I was missing. Everyone believed in me. Everyone was sure about it. But I myself probably wasn't.
Couldn't it be a lack of luck?
I don't think so. I don't believe in luck or fortune. Fortune favours the prepared mind. And I was prepared, so it can't have been a lack of luck.
But still, matches are sometimes decided by purely fortunate moments - a net cord in an important moment...
Of course, you can find such moments, but I don't like making excuses. The better one should win. Maybe the only thing you could call bad luck was that I always got the Williams sisters for the quaterfinal when I was playing my best Grand Slam tennis. The only time when I reached the semis at the Australian Open in 2008 I played the quaterfinal with Agnieszka Radwanska. But the Williams sisters at the Grand Slams - it was something incredible. They were unplayable. Once I played against Justine. But it wasn't really due to a bad draw. If I had believed in myself, I could have beaten them as well.
Rumour has it that 'bad girls' win the most. Do you think that it is true?
It could be. I was raised to be modest, good, but you simply need the cockiness at the very top of a sport. I had a fighting spirit and competitiveness as well, but not as much as the Williams sisters.
Did you also lose your biggest chance, Australian Open 2008, owing to your self-confidence?
Maria wasn't playing that well, but I lost so I shouldn't say that. But I am aware of the fact that if there ever was 'my' Grand Slam, it could have been this one. The final was reachable. Even though my favourite surface has always been grass, I would still have had to play against one of the Williams sisters eventually, like it or not.
Do you play the key moments in your matches differently now? Are you less nervous?
Yes, of course. I don't take it all that seriosuly any more. But I needed it at that time. It was the competitiveness of mine. It pushed me forward. Thanks to it I could just set my mind to fighting and my opponents knew that it wasn't over until the very last point.
In the statistics, you are the player with most three-set matches played...
My family always reproach me for that. (smiling) Poor ones, they have had their ordeal during my matches.
Have they watched you a lot?
That's it! I sometimes wonder why they invented those livescore sites. If I search for a result, it drives me crazy, so how can it be for my family? That is just unhealthy. People don't know what being a fan means to the family. I've also had some classics, for example with Patty Schnyder. Now that she's back, I joke around that should we, by chance, meet again, it would certainly be 7:6 in the third for me or for her. But on the other hand, those are amazing memories. Having been able to turn so many lost matches around, that's what I'm proud of.
It usually comes down to self-confidence in long matches.
What we were talking about a few moments ago was that difference between number 5 and 1 in the world. But at the same time, of course, there were matches were I believed in myself. There were matches that I went into thinking that there was no way I was losing them, even though you can lose anything. And when I was in the Top 10, I was quite self-confident, but it is something totally different to go all the way.
Does it really hold true that 80 % of players play on the same level, but it is the head which sets them apart?
Yes. And not having injuries is also very significant, but you can hardly do anything about it.
Does a tennis player know whether he/she is going to win or lose right after waking up?
I have learnt not to think about it. Nobody can know that. The only thing you know is that there are going to be linesmen, an umpire, ballkids and that the court is going to be exactly the same on both sides of the net. And why waste your energy on other things?
Have you ever lost a match because of issues in your personal life?
Of course. The way you feel off the court affects your performance on the court. It is not possible to be up there for 17 years in a row. Sometimes the results aren't great. We are no robots; we need to deal with other things sometimes. Male players are a bit better at this one aspect. They can just block it all out. For example someone like Lleyton Hewitt, the biggest fighter on the court, simply closed the door and the only thing that mattered was what was just happening on the court, even though he was just having a crises in his perosnal life. We are different, more emotional and we definitely take our personal problems to the court with us.
Danka Barteková, a professional shooter, likes to say that guys want to 'kill' the target unlike girls, who think a lot more.
That's right. Even though there are female tennis players who don't think at all while playing tennis, there are also some who take a bit more complicated approach.
Can the attitude change during the career?
For sure.
Maybe even intentionally?
I don't know whether intentionally, but we are more likely to change through experience - to realise that at the end of the day it is just a sport. At a certain stage in my career, I may have forgotten a bit why I'd started playing tennis. And that was the time when I didn't have any good results. On the other hand, when I enjoyed playing and took it as a hobby, it went all quite smoothly. When it started to matter too much to me, it wasn't good. Sport should be entertainment and joy, not your job. Even though it requires all the hard work and effort, it is still just a game.
Is there ever a completely free day for a sportperson?
When the season is over. Those two weeks. And then maybe one week during the season.
What are the relationships among female tennis players? It is quite known that you are friends with Martina Hingis...
Martina really helped me a lot, especially at the beginning of my career. We used to practise together a lot and that's when I found out what it was like to be the best in the world. We have always had a good relationship. And when we were playing doubles, it was so much fun. We were also in Bratislava playing an exhibition to which I had invited her. She undesrtands tennis so much and she's given me a lot of advice. Of course, Ai Sugiyama was also one of my best friends. She and Martina have helped me the most.
Can you give us some examples?
I happened to beat Martina twice in Indian Wells. When I'd won for the second time, she told me in the locker room, "You are so stupid!" So I looked at her to see what was wrong. And she told me nicely that out of all the world number 1's, I was the one she found it the most difficult to play against. That nobody allegedly had so much power. And then she also asked me what I was doing that I was so low in the rankings. It was all in the style of "Wake up! You can make it!" And then I won the whole tournament. She wrote to congratulate me afterwards. And her mom, Melanie, would also tell me off and it mostly helped. Martina has always helped me and now that she plays again, it is great.
... she won 3 consecutive Grand Slam titles in doubles as a 35-year-old...
... it was actually me who brought her back. I sked her a few times why she wasn't playing any more. Nobody understands the game like her. And then once she just told me to give her two weeks to get ready. And we played doubles in San Diego.
Are good relationships still common in tennis?
They aren't as good as they used to be. When I was in the Top 10, we all respected one another. Now it is different. Some up-and-coming players don't even greet or say 'thanks'.
Isn't it because they walk with their noses stuck in their smart phones"
Maybe. As soon as the match is over, they grab their phones. They don't listen to the coach, who would like to tell them what they did wrong in the match. And the thing with social network is just sick. It is no longer about who wins more, but about who has more followers. It is all so...
...you managed to build your fanbase before social networks took over. Will you have to 'convert' them now when you start your business?
Basically. I am already working on it.
What was the most difficult moment in your career?
Definitely when I was just about to defend my first good season. People were expecting a lot for me and I found it very difficult to deal with the fact that when I'd won, it was expected, but when I lost before the quaterfinals or the semifinals, it was a disaster. But one needs to value every single match the same. The second year was a tough one. That is what Virginia Wade was trying to tell me. The hype was unnecessary.
Fame, success, money - how did you deal with it?
My upbringing definitely helped me as well as my brother. Success hasn't really changed me much, but it was just too much to handle at the beginning.
When you becamse a Top 10 player, how did the tournaments start treating you?
I have always been of the opinion that they should treate like that those who are outside of the top 10. If you are one of the best, you don't even need it. You can't play challengers in order to earn money. You have to play them because you love the sport. But if you take someone like Federer or Djokovic, the tournaments will do for you anything you please.
Could you be more concrete?
Lest it come across too 'mighty'... They simply take care of you. If you need more apartments, you get it. Once they even sent an aeroplane when it was impossible to get from one tournament to another one on time. They were especially nice in Japan. They knew that I liked the Piano so they gave me an apartment with one. Players like Federer don't need to have any worries about anything. Their names basically sell the tickets.
What torunaments do you like the most?
Indian Wells, Rome and all the Grand Slams. There was a time when I thought that maybe I would even nejoy living in Indian Wells. It is so picturesque and very close to LA as well.
Some hockey players play into their 40's because there is still one cup missing... How is it with you?
I don't set nay goals for myself anymore, like how high in the rankings I would like to be. I don't put any pressure on myself. It is all about how you feel inside; if you still nejoy being out there on the court or in the gym. And nothing has appeared yet which could replace tennis in my life. Life has shown me that I can make my tennis career a bit longer
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