June 18, 2009
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Matt Freed from the South Carolina athletics media relations office met up with Ana Marija Zubori from the women’s tennis team at Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center while she was on break from working tennis camp for the Gamecocks on Wednesday, June 17. Use the video link above to watch the interview in its entirety or read the transcript below. You can see some of Ana’s photos from Jamaica during her trip there following the NCAA Tournament using the link above as well.
Roger Federer is one of your favorite players on the pro tour right now. Give me your thoughts on Roger Federer winning this year’s French Open and completing the career Grand Slam.
As a tennis player, you are cheering for great tennis, and when you have Nadal and Federer matches, you just cannot be sad when Nadal wins and you cannot be sad when Federer wins. But, you want Federer to win the French Open finally, and now he has all four Grand Slam titles, which will probably make him the best tennis player in history. I’m really happy that it is now, when we are here, and when I’m a tennis player. Just to grow up with somebody like Roger Federer, watching on TV, it’s just a great thing. His tennis is just perfect; it looks so easy when you see Roger playing and I’m really happy for him. I had some tears in my eyes when I saw him crying and everybody being so excited for his win.
With the French Open over, we move on to Wimbledon now. Roger Federer will be going for his 15th Grand Slam singles title and if he wins he’ll beat Pete Sampras’ record for career slam titles. Does Federer need to win one more to be considered the greatest player of all time or has he already done it by completing the career Grand Slam? You said before you thought he’s probably already the best of all time.
It’s just my personal opinion. I think you cannot say who is the best in history; they’d have to compete against each other. It’s different technology now, a different era of tennis. I watched Pete Sampras when he was No. 1 in the world, and I just think Roger Federer is a more complete player. All his shots are just unbelievable, but Pete Sampras had probably the best serve in the history of tennis and a big forehand. I just think Roger Federer has everything. I’m a little bit sad because Pete Sampras was my idol when I was younger, so I was cheering for both of them and I would be happy if they had 14 titles, but I think Roger is just too good and he will win some more.
I take it you are predicting Roger Federer will win Wimbledon this year. Is that what you’re saying?
I think he is the favorite just because I think Nadal is a little bit injured; he has problems with his knees. And, even with his problems, he did really well on the clay court season prior to the French Open. I think it would be good to see them again in the final even though I’m cheering for Novak Djokovic. He’s a friend of mine and he’s my countryman, so I hope to see Djokovic, Andy Murray, Nadal and Federer in the semifinals. I think that would be perfect for tennis.
You’ve made your picks for the men, so lets turn to the women now. Who do you like on the women’s side? Is it pretty wide open or is there a favorite?
Nobody knows who will win the next tournament; that’s how women’s tennis is right now. I’m again cheering for Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic just because I know them, just because they’re from Serbia. I grew up with them. But, the Williams sisters, they’re just so tough to play against on grass; Venus won five times, or something like that. That’s their home tournament. They are very often going to the finals, they are often winning, so I think we should keep our eye on them.
You mentioned several Serbians in the draw for the men and women. Lets talk about another Serbian tennis player who is now retired, Monica Seles. Many people may not realize she is Serbian; she became a U.S. citizen in the 1990s. She was born in Novi Sad, Serbia, which is the same place where you were born. She played her last WTA Tour match at the 2003 French Open when she lost in the first round. You had a pretty memorable encounter there with her afterward. Tell our fans a little bit about it.
Monica Seles was so famous in Serbia when I was growing up. So many kids started playing tennis because of her. She was just a great athlete, and I know Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic started playing tennis because of Monica Seles. It was the same with me. I played with the same racket. I was trying to imitate her; she was just a big idol for me. My goal, my dream, was to meet her some day and I got to meet her when she played her last match; I didn’t know then it would be her last match. I went to the French Open for juniors in 2003 and I played my match and I was running to watch her play her match and then she was injured and lost. I asked her if I could have her wristband or something because I’m a big fan and she’s my idol. She just gave me her entire outfit from her match, and she made my day. It’s her last outfit from her last match, so it’s really important. It’s still in my room and every time I see it, it’s a great, great memory for me.
Do you have that outfit preserved or in a glass case of some kind?
My mom put it in some kind of case. People just want to touch it, so when somebody comes to visit me or see me, they just have to touch it because it’s Monica Seles’ outfit from her last match. It’s in a room with my trophies, and it’s one of my biggest trophies, I could say.
We’ve talked about Seles and several other Serbian players currently on the tour. Serbia also has several players in the NBA and even a table tennis star with Biba Golic, who is actually featured in a recent ESPN.com commercial. How proud are you that your country produces athletes who are some of the best in the world at what they do?
I’m very proud whenever I see somebody achieving great results. When I see people from Serbia doing that well; we had a hard time in the past with all the wars, but we managed to stay strong, and I think that’s one of the reasons we are doing well in sports. We have many basketball players, we are good in volleyball; we are good in team sports, but recently we are doing so well in table tennis, tennis, and it just makes me happy to see them. Even in college tennis and college sports, we have a lot of athletes. We are not that big of a country, and we have so many good results. It’s a good thing for us.
Serbia not only has great talent on the tennis court, it’s had some great talent come from there not related to sports. As a freshman, you told me once about a man named Nikola Tesla and that he was one of the greatest people of all time. I would say more Americans are familiar with Thomas Edison, but the two were both inventors and were alive at the same time and were competitors. Tell our fans a little bit about Tesla and why you have such great admiration for him.
We say in Serbia that Nikola Tesla is the most famous Serbian ever. Our international airport in Belgrade is named after him. The best schools, best awards presented in Serbia are Nikola Tesla awards. He was just a great inventor. We say he invented electricity. He was named to win a Nobel Prize. He just didn’t accept it because he didn’t want to share it with Edison because he said Edison stole his work. It’s just great to see that somebody from Serbia did something that big and that important for the entire world. We say he invented the first car; the first electrical car. Now, Ford is saying they will present their first electric car and it will be called Tesla Ford, so we are proud. In school, I always admired him. He was a great genius.
You’ve been working tennis camp here for South Carolina the past couple of weeks. Before coming here, you were in Jamaica for a few weeks following the NCAA Tournament. What did you get to do and see while you were there?
When I have a hard time during the season, when I have difficult classes and different schedules, I like to take some time to see all these exotic destinations. I’m trying to see where I’m going next. People were joking because they didn’t think I was serious when I was saying I’m going to Jamaica and that’s just how it is. Then one day, I just bought my tickets and got a deal, and I’m like, once we’re done with NCAAs, I’m going to Jamaica. It was just great. I got to swim with the dolphins. I was scuba diving. I did so many great things; met so many people. Jamaican people are really nice and I’m looking forward to going back.
Did you do any work there? Play any tennis?
Yes, that’s how I went there. I had to work two or three hours each day and teach tennis and do clinics with young Jamaican people and with guests at the resort where I was staying. It was just nice to show people what the life is of athletes, college athletes. It’s always nice to see young children looking at you and trying to repeat what you are teaching them. For me, it wasn’t work. It was a pleasure to work with them.
One last question for you. Gamecock tennis camp is finishing up this week and then you’re heading back to Serbia for the summer. Any big plans for the rest of the summer before you return for your senior year in August?
My first big plan is to rest. It was a long season. I still have a tennis racket in my hands every day, working the camp. I just want to take maybe two or three weeks without tennis and then maybe I will start practicing. I will start working hard for the next season because I know I’m the only senior. I know that I have to be ready from the first day. It will be nice to see my family and my friends and have a great time. It’s good energy we are accumulating there and then when we come here, we are ready to play one tough season again.
