Sorry it took so long. And it's a bit random and gossipy, but that's how the book is. It's mostly quotes, because I haven't done any book reports in like 12 years.
Tennis off the record
Cv 1 Living a life of luxuryThis chapter is about how tournamnts spoil star player, in what way and what behaviour this induces in a player.
Divas"In Båstad some years ago Jeff Tarango scared the hell out of an insecure guy from the staff. Tarango had been beaten and was about to leave the picturesque town. But first he wanted his money, in cash. The finances guy behind the counter tried to explain in stuttering English the prizemoney was only issued as cheques.
-I can see you have a fucking pile of money in front of you, Tarango shouted at the terrrified official who was about to lock up the day's takings in the safe.
Tarango got on the phone with tournament director Urban Johansson bellowing into the receiver: -I have a fucking moron in front of me. If I don't get my money I knock him out."
"Peter Lundgren coached the worst of the lot: Marcelo Rios. His despicable behaviour makes the scandals of McEnroe, Tarango and Nastase look like kid's stories.
...
In Hamburg once a boy in a wheelchair asking for an autograph, handed over pen and paper to Rios, who took the pen, broke it and threw the pieces to the ground.
...
At a player's party in Rome he was being very obnoxious trying to kiss every woman who got close. When he started to urinate on the floor the guards have had enough and threw him out. A little later he beat up a taxi driver and fought with the police before being locked up. He was sentenced probation.
Peter Lundgren:-You couldn't reach through to him. No one could talk to him, not even me. It's a tragedy."
Hierarchy"As a stringer in Monte Carlo said-It's all about the ranking"
"Boris Becker once claimed-When a top ten player speaks, other players are quiet. That's an unwritten rule. Top 10 players lead a secret life and the #1 is the most secret. The world #1 isolate himself and cultivate the mystique. There only one place where he lift the veil -on the court."
"-You don't take their place in the locker room or ask them to move their stuff . You don't poach on their preserves, you really don't, says Magnus Norman"
"*The higher status a player has the better and more luxurius his hotel will be. The suites are reserved for the largest crowdpulling stars.
*They get better locker rooms than the other players of the draw use. In Wimbledon all seeded players have their own higher standard locker room.
*Seeded player get a better practise schedule- more time on court, more appropriate times and sometimes better courts. The other player have to fight for the remaining timeslots and are often forced to practise four at the same time.
*The top players don't have to play matches at far away outer courts where the crowd get disturbimgly close to the players. Andre Agassi can play whenever he wishes. The starplayers agents persuade the tournament directors to schedule their players favourably.
*The very top names get their own car and driver in many tournaments.
*The stars receive more valuable gifts than the others
*The tournament trainers often let the best players get prority."
"During his stay at the Stockholm Open 2004 'the tennis-god' Andre Agassi wasn't to live at the players hotel Scandic Park but instead he got one of the suites at Grand Hotel. There his family could stay quietly and more luxuriosly."
"A superstar like Andre Agassi has a complete entourage at tournaments. For everything to work and to make him feel secure he has a bodyguard, coach, trainer, his own stringer, several agents and a nanny.
-It's almost mafia style, Magnus Gustafsson kids.
Agassi knows how to use his name as a door opener in different circumstances. If he goes to a restaurant, the owner bows as deep as he can, gives him the best table, and probably eats for free."
Sex."The most wanted tennisplayers have no problems getting laid if they want to. To every tournamment comes so called groupies to 'hang out' with celebrities."
"An unmarried player says jokingly-The more money I earn, the more handsome I become."
"Most infamous was a group of English girls who have a solid personal record after years of hard work swinging. They had the brilliant idea to write a book about their life on the tennis tour, access all areas. Many players got cold feet and have been laying low ever since. So far no such book has been published. Perhaps it will..."
"At challengers in Easter Europe some arrangers make available women for the players to make them feel comfortable. Instead of appearance money they can have their way with escortgirls courtesy the tournament.
At a player party a tournament director approached Magnus Norrman: 'If you're interested in anybody here, then there is no problem."
"If you're playing Båstad, don't bring your girlfriend."
"Marat Safin was 18 and not yet a fully fledged starplayer, but he was a renowned talent. He wanted $10000 as appearance money. Båstad arrangers said no, but a sponsor paid the money.
A pretty high up female tournament official, good looking, heard about the money problems with the Russian shooting star, who according to many women is handsome.
The official took matters in her own hands and got to know Safin. The night before his first match she went to bed with him- hoping she did the tournament and Safin a favour.
A while later a happy Safin met tournament director Urban Johansson. jokingly saying he would play Båstad for free in the future.
-The tournament managment didn't know about this..."
Party"Swede Peter Nyborg mostly played on the doubles tour. He doesn't deny they partied a lot. -There are possibilities and sometimes you give in to temptation. I was serious when I needed to, but I also had a lot of fun and spent a lot of money. When I look back, perhaps I would have done better tenniswise if had half the fun, says Peter self deprecatingly.
Peter describes the difference between singles and doubles players: -The conscientious singels players goes to bed at 10.30 the night before a match, the doubles player at 00.30"
"There have been consistent rumours the tour is full of drug abuse."
"Sure some people use hasch, cannabis,marijuana and cocaine to relax at nights. It's a matter of culture, if they come from a place which is more liberal in it's view on drugs, eg Latin America. But most guys are against this abuse. They rather take a beer in the bar at nights, says a player"
Stalkers"Mats Wilander has several times been subjected to intrusive women wanting to have contact who stalked him from tournamnet to tournament.
One girl was completely obsessed and sent him plenty of letters and videotapes of herself. One time in Paris she was waiting at the reception of Mats' hotel. When he entered the door, she approached, acting strangely, with a look in her eyes clearly showing she wasn't all there.
-She claimed she almost jumped from one of the bridges over river Seine just because I didn't say hello to her at a particular time. Suddenly she started rummaging her hand-bag for something. For a moment I was terrified, I thought she was to pull out a gun to shoot me. I really should have taken this to court. A woman receiving this behaviour from a man, probably would have, says Mats."
If you're lucky pt2 will come before Christmas... ;D