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By Scoop Malinowski
Status: Former WTA No. 4 ranked tennis player (2002); Winner of six WTA singles and four doubles titles. 348-221 record in singles. Turned pro in 1998 and retired in 2014. Author of her new autobiography Unbreakable.
DOB: April 12, 1983 In: Osijek, Croatia
Childhood Hero: “Steffi Graf.”
Tennis Inspirations: Well,it’s a little different story for me because I already played once and then I had some time off with some personal problems, so, for me, I feel like I’m kinda starting the second part of my career. So I just want to try and see and try to do as well as I can. There’s a lot of goals for me and a lot of things I would like to do but we’ll see how far I can go.”
Last Book Read: “The Devil Wears Prada. I got it for Christmas. I read that. And I’m just starting a new one but I can’t remember the name.”
Favorite Movie: “Have to say Gladiator maybe [smiles].”
First Tennis Memory: “When I started when I was six – the first club where I started at, my very first tennis session. It was weird. Because I was nervous and I didn’t know what to expect but I actually didn’t miss too many balls which was funny, for someone who just started playing tennis. Not that I decided then and there that I would play but it was really something that I enjoyed.”
Favorite Meal: “Anything Italian.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Cookies and cream.”
Current Car: “Porsche Carrera 4S (dark gray).”
Pre-Match Feeling: “I get nervous maybe a couple of hours before the match. And right before the match I’d say about an hour before, I try to calm down a little bit and get five minutes in the locker room and kind of go through my thoughts. Try to imagine the points that I would like to play on the court. That way I kind of calm down.”
Greatest Career Moment: “Would be winning my first title in Rome. And probably the last Australian Open.”
Most Painful Moment: “Would be losing the semifinal of the Olympics in 2000 (to Monica Seles). And quarterfinal of Australian Open this year (to Dinara Safina) [laughs].”
Favorite Tournaments: “All the Grand Slams. But probably would have to say San Diego. They used to have a great tournament. (Why?) It was just a great tournament. They looked after the players really well. And the site and the resort where we played was just amazing.”
Favorite Players To Watch: “Federer and Nadal. I mainly watch men’s tennis. They play so differently but they have such great matches (Who do you root for?) It’s difficult to say. First, when Federer was winning everything, I was rooting for Nadal. So I wanted him to try and win Wimbledon, which he did. So lately I’ve been going for Nadal but I like to watch them both play.”
Funny Tennis Memory: “Maybe it’s not so funny but we had in Europe winters are very harsh. And so we don’t have indoor courts. And it was winter and it was about minus fifteen (degrees). That was when I was about seven. We went on the courts – ice was on the court – we tried to move the snow and everything. And we kind of played on that. But it was funny. We played in gloves and hats and everything [smiles].”
Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “I think it’s always tough to play when you play in front of a big crowd – you always try to not embarrass yourself. Some of the stuff that you do – a few times before I tripped and fell and stuff like that [smiles].”
Last Vacation: “I live in Croatia but the last three years I was vacationing there. The coast there is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been.”
(Note: This interview was done at the IMG Tennis Academy in Bradenton, FL in late February 2009.)
(Hint: His nicknames were Pistol Pete, Pizza Pete, The Mongoose.)