This Biofile was done on August 31, 1998 at the US Open. At the time Safin was a highly regarded teenager but was still ranked outside the top 50. He reached the round of 16 in Flushing Meadows before losing to Sampras. Safin would break into the top 50 later in the year when he defeated Korda in first round in Ostrava. In 2000 at the age of 20, Safin stunned the tennis world by dominating Sampras in three sets for his first slam title.   He later became #1 in the world and won the Australian Open.

 

Status: Former world #1, US Open and Australian Open champion, member of winning Davis Cup team retired from tennis last week at the Paris Indoor Masters Series tournament after his three-set loss to Juan Martin Del Potro.

 

Ht: 6-4  Wt: 178

 

DOB: January 27, 1980  In: Moscow, Russia

 

Childhood Heroes:  “Sampras, Kafelnikov, Medvedev. Good players and nice people. It’s important to be nice person. Not to be a great player who thinks he’s like unbelievably great. I like a nice person.”

 

Hobbies/Interests:  “Play sports, movies, eat [laughs].”

 

Pre-Match Feeling:  “Like to talk with people. Makes me loose. Not close my eyes and think about match. I prefer to spend that time with people – other players, my coach. Not to be very concentrated. You’re already nervous before the match.”

 

Early Tennis Memory:  “My first tournament I played in Russia I was seven. And I make two rounds. Win two matches. In championship of Moscow. So my first tournament I won two matches. Was very good for me. Small tournament but very important for me.”

 

Greatest Sports Moment:  “French Open, beat two players from top of tennis (Agassi & Kuerten, both in five sets). Agassi – I’d lost to him one match before in Davis Cup. So that was very important. Because I wanted to win. To beat Agassi is very nice always. Whether he plays good or bad, just to beat Agassi any time is very nice.”

 

Most Painful Moment:  “Nothing.”

 

Favorite Movies:  “The Godfather, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro movies.”

 

Musical Tastes:  “Metallica, Halloween – the most hard, dance music, Dream.”

 

Favorite Athletes To Watch:  “Soccer clubs – Valencia of Spanish league. Inter Milan of Italian league. Ronaldo. Mike Tyson – nice. Shaq, Orlando Magic. Spartak Moscow – from my country. Dallas Cowboys. Oakland Raiders. Los Angeles Kings, Wayne Gretzky. Baseball – I don’t understand [smiles].”

 

Toughest Competitors Encountered:  “Players who serve and volley – Rafter, Rusedski, Woodforde. Hard for me to play against them when they serve and volley well and make the volley all the time. Everybody is hard but they’re the most hard.”

 

Closest Tennis Friends:  “Everybody.”

 

Funniest Players:  “Julian Alonso – he’s the young star from Spain. A very nice person, and I think he’s very funny.”

 

Favorite Meal:  “Russian food, but you won’t know the name.”

 

Favorite Breakfast Cereal:  “I prefer an omelette and pancakes.”

 

Favorite Vacation:  “Cancun. I would like to go to Cancun in the off-season.”

 

First Car:  “1990 VW Golf (red), an old one.”

 

Childhood Dream:  “I wanted to play soccer.”

 

Interesting Fact:  “Nothing special.”

 

People Qualities Most Admired: “I don’t like the people who think they’re very important. I like people who are very friendly and just nice people. Not somebody who thinks they are the best of the best. Just nice person.”

 

Future Ambitions:  “Just be in the top 10 by when I’m 20. To be maybe top 10. When I get to top 10 I’ll think of other things – number five, number one. I don’t know. But main thing is to be top 10.”