At 19 a person has to make their own mistakes, hurt themselves, otherwise you cannot become strong.
Even going up the stairs I have to be extremely careful. It's cold today, and my knee hurts. This is a permanent injury. I will never be able to completely get rid of it.
Even though I had been warned that I had to get treatment for another 2-3 weeks, I got on court and finished myself off.
Even when we were winning over French in the Davis Cup final, the French applauded me, can you believe it?
I am already 25 and not 18, when I could have gone out to play after a party and treated tennis differently.
I am in this business, but I want to be healthy, and I don't want my colleagues to receive numerous injuries in one year.
I am not a gambler at all. I don't fancy poker or any other card games. I also have no patience, so golf is out of the question.
I cannot abuse something which is the basis of my lifestyle.
I cannot lie around on the sofa watching TV.
I cannot stand the word celebrity and anything it might imply. It's total nonsense. When someone calls a person a celebrity, it's like they are trying to turn him into a robot. I am a human being.
I definitely couldn't have reached my present level if I continued with football.
I have only gained two kilos since I stopped playing.
I live for myself. I don't care what's being said behind my back. If I think I can afford to do something, I do it. I don't need other people's judgements. I decide it for myself.
I make mistakes sometimes, but on the whole I am becoming an expert.
I play tennis not only because it pays good money but because I enjoy it. The more I like it, the better I play.
I trained in Spain, where they don't really pay perfection too much attention. Due to my height I am limited in movement on court.
I was number 1 for 12 weeks. I only left that spot when I had torn a ligament. You get this feeling of reaching a ceiling. When you're a bit lower you have something to aim at.
If I have the opportunity to become No. 1 in the world, I would love to achieve it.
If the first Russian President never played tennis, it would have been just a casual sport. But nowadays people know so much about it.
In Athens, there was barbed wire all around the village. I had the Israeli team as neighbours. People with machine guns used to guard them.
In tennis, one thing leads to another, it's like a circle, which you cannot get out from.
It is very hard for me to switch from clay to grass.
Knowing what kind of money I earn, people tend to think I party every night and don't give a damn about tennis. This point of view is stupid. It is also an insult to me.
Life is great and it's really stupid to waste time. You'll regret aimlessly wasted years.
Marcelo Rios, he stopped taking the business seriously and had to leave. If I treated tennis in the same manner I would not be around.
My goal is to pick up good form for the Australian Open, where I have a lot of ranking points to defend.
My Grandpa still doesn't speak Russian very well but he said everything with his actions. I don't think I would have become what I am right now if it wasn't for him.
New York is a fantastic city.
Now, when I can buy anything I want, my passion for chic clothes has vanished.
Our female tennis boom is because of Kournikova.
Satisfaction, results and money go together as a whole. That is why the times of uncertainty, I cannot call them good times.
Ten years ago you could reach a final of a serious tournament with just your serve. Now everyone has impeccable preparation. You have come to a bodybuilding contest!
Tennis balls change every time. Can you imagine football players having to play with balls of different weight all the time?
Tennis dictates a lifestyle which you can't lead staying in one place. I cannot imagine being in the same city for over three months. I have to keep moving, otherwise it feels like I am missing something.
Tennis has become such an individual sport that no one is really friends with anyone. We all have our own lives.
Tennis is my life and my business. All that I have, I owe it to tennis. I treat my business the same way as a chairman of the bank treats his.
The worst thing for a man is when there is nothing to do and no future. A man starts to degrade. I love life. I constantly need to do something.
There is a huge difference between getting treatment in Moscow and in an unknown city. I wanted to howl I was so sick at heart.
To quit everything you've lived for, for 15 years and try to do something new is very hard.
Two Grand Slams, it's already something. One Grand Slam, you can win by mistake.
We play non-stop 11 months a year. We have one month to rest and get ready for the next season. How can we talk about health, rest and personal life? You cannot take a two-week break if you are tired.
What is going to happen to the guys coming after us is a mystery.
What to do after a career? I ask advice from my closest friends.
When I put on a track suit with Russia written on it, everyone looked at me with respect. I lost on the very first day but stayed until the end of the Olympics. Tons of fun!
When I was 17 I had one pair of trousers and one pair of shoes for every occasion. I remember coming to Davis Cup for the first time-no suit, no white shirt. I look at the photos and feel ashamed.
You can find flaws in Agassi and Sampras, but Federer has none.
You have to play while you can, you cannot escape from it.
Marat Safin's middle name is Mikhailovich.
Marat Safin holds the ATP Tour season record for most racquets broken.
Safin gained the attention of the tennis establishment in 1998 with his consecutive victories over Andre Agassi and the defending champion Gustavo Kuerten at the French Open.
Plays Right-handed
Marat's sister Dinara Safina is a professional tennis player as well.
Marat Safin was named 2000 Newcomer of the Year at Laureus World Sports Awards in Monte Carlo.
Peter Lundgren is his tennis coach.
His Parents are Misha and Rausa Islanova.
Marat Safin is the 2000 US Open Men's Singles champion.
Marat is 6'4" tall.
Lives in Monte Carlo, Monaco
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