One of them is Radu Albot - the most successful tennis player in the history of our country. He is the person who, for almost two decades, inscribes the Republic of Moldova on the map of elite sports and with each tournament he gives us an opportunity of pride and reasons for gratitude because he is one of the personalities who increase our image capital in the world.
Today we set out to present Radu Albot - the man and the athlete - as we discovered him: sociable, charismatic, with a pronounced civic sense, but also with a developed sense of humour and ready to intervene when asks for support or involvement.
You are the most successful theologian in the history of the Republic of Moldova. You have many admirers in the country, but also abroad and if we know more about sports performances, thanks to the attention and media coverage that this sport enjoys all over the world, about your life and biography, unfortunately, here, at home, we know Less. We want to correct this injustice and, first of all, please tell us where you were born.
One of them is Radu Albot - the most successful tennis player in the history of our country. He is the person who, for almost two decades, inscribes the Republic of Moldova on the map of elite sports and with each tournament he gives us an opportunity of pride and reasons for gratitude because he is one of the personalities who increase our image capital in the world.
Today we set out to present Radu Albot - the man and the athlete - as we discovered him: sociable, charismatic, with a pronounced civic sense, but also with a developed sense of humour and ready to intervene when asks for support Radu Albot: I was born in the city of Chisinau, on November 11, 1989.
Liliana Popuşoi: Do you have any more brothers, sisters?
R.A. Unfortunately no. But I wish I had a brother or a sister.
L.P. Why did you choose tennis, what attracted you?
R.A. I started playing tennis when I was little, about six years old. Then I paused. And from the age of eight, I started playing tennis all the time. I can't say it was a conscious choice, I was a child and I couldn't understand if I liked this sport or not. But, like any child, I wanted to play, either outside with other children or with cars. At that age I couldn't think of sports as an activity, that's why all I became and achieved so far was, for the most part, my parents' choice. Especially my father's choice. He watched tennis competitions on TV, enjoyed the sport and looked for a school in Moldova where I could learn and practice tennis.
L.P. Was it difficult?
R.A. Honestly, I remember very little about how it was in the beginning. From that period I remember more the interaction with the children there; we spent our time like in a game. And I think that's normal in childhood, you don't have to be treated most seriously from the age of eight. I think you have to live your age, otherwise, when will you be a child? Tennis is not an easy sport, but I found out later. Then I just know that I liked spending time on the tennis court, which offers a very large space where you can run without any restrictions. I liked this fact in tennis since childhood; I also liked that there were a lot of children, I had friends to play with, to have fun, to have fun. I think these are the reasons why I initially perceived tennis as a game. or involvement.
You are the most successful theologian in the history of the Republic of Moldova. You have many admirers in the country, but also abroad and if we know more about sports performances, thanks to the attention and media coverage that this sport enjoys all over the world, about your life and biography, unfortunately, here, at home, we know Less. We want to correct this injustice and, first of all, please tell us where you were born.
L.P. It is said that all children want to play and the sport attracts them because at first, it seems to be a game. When and how did this "game" catch you? When did it become a serious game?
R.A. I think this happened when I started travelling, participating in tournaments. Although even then I did not fully realize the seriousness of this activity and I did not even think I was playing a professional sport. Around the age of 15, however, I came to understand that I have a level of training, that I can play with young athletes from Europe. Because at 16 I was already second in the ranking in Europe, and at 18 - second in the world. The time interval from 15 to 17 years was the period in which I understood that I have the chance to be good and that I will be able to make a career in this sport.
L.P. You were born during the fall of the USSR. Although they went through great difficulties after the collapse of the empire, the people of the former Soviet states also obtained the opportunity to travel freely. What do you remember about your first trips abroad? What impressed you the most?
R.A. To be honest, I didn't understand then that only a few years ago people weren't allowed to leave freely, and I'm taking advantage of that now and can travel without restraint. I was about 13 years old when I first went to Ukraine and I remember talking to boys in Estonia, and I asked them if they had Coca-Cola in their country. No - I thought that in other countries of the world I find, for example, the products that are found in our country. I didn't understand how things were going in the world, I had never been to other countries. Although the world began to circulate unrestricted much later, it had been many years since the fall of the USSR. In Ukraine, Romania, where I had been before, I talked in Russian, in Romanian and it was as if I hadn't moved far from home, I didn't feel much difference. But I felt the real difference on my first trip to Germany, where I saw other roads, other houses, people, their cars, infrastructure, tennis court. These things then made me compare our countries and Europe and notice the difference in level.
L.P. In sports, to be successful, does the country where you are born to matter?
R.A. Interesting question ... To be successful, it doesn't necessarily matter if you are born in a country where the sport is more developed, but in such a country you have more chances to become a professional and therefore to be successful. Support is what matters. Because, if we refer to the sport that I practice, in developed countries a lot of attention is paid to supporting young people; young people travel with the coach, in these countries, some sponsors pay the costs for travel, sometimes young people have Wild Card, which gives them direct access to the main tables of big tournaments and this happens in the case of athletes who are just in training, not are established on the first positions in the rankings. But the fact that they enjoy the support helps them grow faster, which has never happened to me to stay at home for half a year, given that I have travelled all my life so far ... I still prefer to see the positive side of this stagnation. , which in our country, unfortunately, is missing. I grew up largely because of the funding and support my parents gave me. Thanks to them, I was able to develop, to go to other countries to participate in tournaments. In countries where the sport is developed, this is not the case. And I don't want to limit ourselves to tennis right now. We certainly have a lot of athletes who need support. As for me, yes, I might need help sometimes, but I want our athletes to be helped by the authorities. Yes, tennis is an individual sport; I have always played tournaments in all countries of the world and travelled with my money. I think that's going to happen from now on, that's not the problem; but other athletes in our country, such as judokas or in any other sport, in order not to discriminate, must be helped by the authorities.
L.P. What are the most difficult times you face?
R.A. I explain to you what I need when I go to play abroad: plane tickets and hotel accommodation, and in my case, the most expensive thing is to allow myself to pay for the coach. Otherwise, food, per diems or if you want to go out somewhere in the city - these are already extra expenses and some are optional.
L.P. Apart from family, have you had any support from anyone?
R.A. Yes, and I would like to thank him in this way for the support of the President of the Moldovan Tennis Federation, Mr Ceslav Ciuhri. I think she's the only person who helped me financially to get tickets so I could play some matches with a bigger team and not just me and the coach, and that's important. I thank him for supporting me, he trusts me and he sends me messages of encouragement when I have tournaments, he has been present at some tournaments.
L.P. I know that you are currently at the peak of your sports career, but, with your permission, I would like to recall together some moments from the past, moments in which you knew the first successes. Please tell us what you remember about those times, how you coped with the success and what impact it had on you, your family.
R.A. Success in tennis and how you feel can be seen through several stages. There are different levels, which you gradually reach. But once you touch them, you feel like you want more. I think this happens not only in sports; I believe that when he achieves a goal, each person will always strive for something more: to move forward, to be even better. My successes are because I have always been supported in the family; I have always been the pride of my family. You know, there have been failures and I think the most important thing is to have someone to support you when you have a failure because then it's the hardest thing for you; Maybe your career is in jeopardy, and if you don't have someone by your side to help you overcome the difficulties, you won't want to move on. It is in such moments that you understand that the people who are with you when you are in difficulty are the closest to you. If you can get through a difficult time, then everything is fine. But when you are successful, you feel like you are flying and many find you and tell you that they are your friends, some even imply that they have contributed somewhat to your success. We didn't pay attention to these details before, but over time they come to light.
L.P. Do you have friends you have been in contact with since childhood?
R.A. I have childhood friends even from other countries, they are friends I made when I started playing tennis, we keep in touch throughout my career so far; I travelled with them, I slept in the same rooms, I was a guest in their homes, they were with me. Of course, we already see each other less often, not like before, when we were younger and we met regularly in tournaments. But now it is very easy to talk due to social networks, the Internet and the accessibility of means and platforms for discussion. We discuss various topics. But I also have friends at home, with whom we have been in contact since early childhood, they are classmates from the tennis school. but over time, things change. before we saw each other much more often, we already have families, children and it is not so easy to meet, as it was before, when we had fewer responsibilities and obligations.
L.P. How are you coping with the pandemic?
R.A. In March 2020, when the state of the pandemic was declared, everything seemed a little strange to us. At that time I was in America and the tour that was supposed to take place there was cancelled, and we were sent home. I returned to the country and stayed home from March to August. This period also had positive aspects, because in April, last year, my little girl was born and I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my family, to be with my wife and daughter. I never missed a moment in the way she started to develop, to know the world, to know us, how she started to smile, to gain weight, to grow ... That made me very happy and made me feel very happy. I think that such moments are invaluable and it is not known if in other conditions I would have spent so much time with my family, with my child, because, traditionally, I travel a lot and participate in tournaments, and I spend very little time at home. I am glad that I was close to my wife and I was able to help her, she is our first child, we have no experience in this direction and we supported each other, I am glad that we were able to go through these stages together. I would have lost a lot if I had left during this time. Yes, the pandemic has radically changed everyone's life, but because during this time each of us has been able to be more with our family, I think this is a very important thing. Professionally, however, my activity has stopped. It's not just my profession that has stopped. We all have something to lose if we don't go to work. It has never occurred to me to stay at home for half a year in the conditions in which I have travelled all my life so far. The breaks between tournaments are a few weeks, but I prefer to see the positive side of this stagnation.
L.P. And yet, earlier this year you had the chance to participate in the Australian Open. How was the tournament for you?
R.A. Due to pandemic restrictions, this year's edition was different, but I said - everything is different this year. Australia is notable for the fact that there are not many cases of the disease in this country. This is because there it is required to enter the country quarantine for two weeks. And if you're Australian and you come home, you still have to stay at the hotel for two weeks, without the right to leave the room, open the window, take a walk outside. The same thing happened with the tournament. All athletes were quarantined when they entered the country. We were only allowed to go out for training. The time I had available outside the hotel room was five hours a day. Everything was calculated: 15 minutes by car - shower; 15 minutes by car - return; an hour and a half of training in the gym, two hours of training on the tennis court and an hour to eat. The rest of the time we had to stay in the room, we were not even allowed until the hotel reception, on each floor there was a security guard, who wanted this regime to be respected. We have been notified that if these rules are violated, we will be disqualified from the tournament. After the expiration of these two weeks of quarantine, we were allowed to go out in the city, in Melbourne, where the tour took place in our case. And in the city, everything is open and with free access - restaurants, cinemas - absolutely everything. People were walking freely on the streets - life was going on like before the pandemic, because, as I said, there are no cases of Covid-19 infection in the state or the city. It was in such conditions that this year's tournament in Melbourne took place, different from other years.
L.P. But how was the competition?
R.A. I found it an interesting competition. In the first round, I played with a Spaniard, who is currently ranked 13th in the world and I am glad that I was able to win this round because I won with a good tennis player, which is good for my winning record. In the second round, we won with an Australian player, which is good again, because Australians usually play well at home. I can say that I lost the third round with
a young Norwegian, has a very good style of play and I am sure he has an excellent future ahead of him. It was my best performance at the Australian Open because I have never won two matches there since I participated and I think it is a good result for the beginning of the year.
L.P. What are your plans for the current year?
R.A. Many more Grand Slam tournaments are coming up because it was only one so far. The next Grand Slam tournament will be at Roland Garros, then Wimbledon, then the US Open in New York. In addition, other matches follow. In general, there are many tournaments in tennis, you can play weekly, but usually, the players take breaks, because the body does not resist playing every week. So there are still a lot of tournaments ahead, and possibly participating in the Olympics in Japan - that's about my plans or, in other words, the schedule for this year.
L.P. Because you have spent a lot of time at home lately, please tell us what places at home make you feel good? Do you miss someone, something, somewhere in the house when you are touring abroad?
R.A. I like peace at home. I always come here to rest. During the periods when I am gone, I miss my family, my parents. Even if we have the opportunity to communicate via the Internet, nothing compares to live meetings and discussions. I also miss the friends we go out with when I'm in the country. Last summer I visited the places in the Old Orhei area, I was in Trebujeni, in a very picturesque place, with Radu Ţurcan, a friend of mine involved in the National Geographic Moldova project.
L.P. What hobbies besides tennis do you have and how do you like to spend your free time?
R.A. I like cycling, it's one of my favourite occupations. I still like to play billiards; recognize, spend a lot of time on the internet, watch various videos related to personal development
I read and find out about everything that happens in the world, I am especially interested in electric vehicles because it is said that these are the means of the future. Although concerned about non-polluting means of transport, I wonder if switching to electric cars will also harm the planet.
L.P. I read that you have a degree in psychopedagogy, have you thought about putting this knowledge into practice?
R.A. You know, the sport I play is more psychological, although it involves effort and physical training. In tennis, you have to be strong in every way. My psychopedagogy diploma plays an important role in the activity I carry out because I am not an aggressive player, who impresses with strength and speed, I am a guy who puts more emphasis on tactics, strategy and I am attentive to emotions. I think that psychology helped me to get further in this sport, to climb to get where I am now.
I'm not an aggressive player, I'm a guy who puts more emphasis on tactics, strategy and I'm attentive to emotions.
Of course, maybe even better, I could have gotten more and I don't stop at what I got, but I also worked with psychologists from other countries, which was an important experience for me and I put this knowledge into practice. , I implemented them on the tennis court and I am convinced that psychology is helpful to me, even if, I admit, at first this does not seem credible.
L.P. Do you have an idol, a tennis model who inspired you?
R.A. Of course, in childhood everyone has idols, we like them and we tend to be like those who are better than us. In adulthood, I liked the style of play and I admire Roger Federer, Marat Safin and Sebastien Grosjean - I always followed them with much interest. I recently started watching David Ferrer, a Spanish player. Why do I like and follow them? Because they are close to my way of feeling and acting in this sport or, more precisely, they make a game as I would like to do, because they are the top players in the world: first in the world rankings, fifth in the world rankings ... I still have until them.
L.P. Have you ever had a chance to play with any of them?
R.A. I played with David Ferrer and Roger Federer.
L.P. And how did you feel, how were those games overwhelmed you?
R.A. No, in the game I block my emotions and on the contrary, I wanted to beat them. I was focused, determined, I can say that the matches against them were pretty good, but I didn't manage to win.
L.P. You are probably aware that you are a role model or even perceived as an idol for many novice athletes. What would you advise these tennis players at the beginning of the path? What about their parents?
R.A. It's complicated to advise because at any stage you need to come up with different arguments. It depends on the purpose of each. You can't generalize: you do this and you will succeed, because there is no such thing. There are several factors here, as we have discussed before, you need support, you need finances to allow you to participate in tournaments, but also to invest in equipment. Lack of money can even block your activity and career - it simply stops you from developing. But it's just as important to believe in what you do, to trust yourself, to work hard, to train and listen to the coach, to do what he tells you - these are true in all sports. It may seem like simple rules, but if you follow them, you'll notice. As for the parents ... they'd better go to my parents for advice.
L.P. Have you considered becoming a coach?
R.A. I thought. At the end of his career, every athlete would like to become a coach, to share the experience and knowledge he has gained, his visions of a sport, the secrets he has learned during his career. I am thinking of setting up a Tennis Academy in our country. For now, this is one of my little plans, but in the future I hope to be able to implement it, to raise children here, to help them become better, some of them may choose to become tennis teachers, others - to play for colleagues in America or become successful tennis players, or, why not, someone could come here to learn tennis as a hobby. I hope to succeed in implementing this plan and, perhaps, in this way I will contribute to the development of this sport in the Republic of Moldova.
L.P. We also hope that you will be able to implement this initiative because it is a truly noble one. But if you had the decision-making power and the chance to change or propose a change in our country, what would you change?
R.A. The first thing I want to change in the Republic of Moldova (I don't know how much this has to do with my will or decision-making power) would be to have good roads. I also think that more attention needs to be paid to the development of the medical system in our country. I would also like to have more sports bases, not necessarily tennis bases, although those intended for this sport are also welcome. And because sport is my field of activity, I would like there to be more investments in this field, to pay special attention to providing financial means for athletes, this is now almost completely missing in our country. Athletes are taken into account and receive financial support only if they get something: medals, awards, championships. But they need help to get these results, to cope with all the daily difficulties and focus only on the result they want to achieve. If I supported them, these results might be better, more.
... to believe in what you do, to trust yourself, to work hard, to train and listen to the coach, to execute everything he says ...
My family wants my daughter to follow in my footsteps, and I don't know if I can ban her from making that choice.
The source f the interview: Moldova magazine, 2021, march-april.
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