Marat Safin Bows Out His Way

NEW YORK -- Marat Safin failed, and now it's over. He blew it. End of story.

"I have no regrets," he said. "No. Nothing."

None? He drilled Pete Sampras in a U.S. Open final in 2000, reached No. 1 in the world and could have won so much more. Instead, it ended Wednesday with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 first-round loss to Jurgen Melzer in the U.S. Open. This was his last major. Safin, at 29, is retiring at the end of the year.

Retiring a failure. Instead of committing to win more tennis tournaments, he spent his 20s making $14 million, traveling the world, climbing mountains, partying and dating many, many women.

How irresponsible! Many women. Many mountains. Many dollars. He did win two majors. And he played tennis for work. He now lives in Monte Carlo.

Wait a minute. What was my point again?

Oh yeah, failure. Safin defines it. And ...

OK, I'm going to have to stop right here. It depends on your definition of failure, I guess. But Safin's story will be told about a guy who didn't live up to great potential. But are we sure?

Seems to me, he lived the dream life of almost every young man. Also, maybe that was his potential.

"I achieved what I wanted to achieve and I want to continue with doing something else," he said. "This is the perfect timing, because I'm still young. I don't have a family. I'm ready to make a change. Why not?

"Thirty-five [years old] and it's already you need to think about some things. A little bit late. So basically, put everything on cruise control and you just cruise."

Cruise how?

"I will see. But definitely I want to get out a little bit of the tennis scene and try something completely different. I have plenty of time to think about it. I want to achieve some things. I'm different than another person who wants to lay back and do nothing for the rest of my life and talk nonsense on ESPN, talk about my match against Sampras.

"It's been a long ride, so I need some time off, you know?"

Now wait a minute. Time off of what? Of playing tennis, traveling the world, making millions and having fun?



Let me put it this way: If your dog sleeps all day for a living, what would he do in retirement?

There is something here about living up to your potential. Earlier this week, I noted critically that Serena Williams, who has done far more than Safin, hasn't touched on her potential.

So what' s the difference? Williams' potential is so great that she can change the world. Safin had potential to win more, I guess. Certainly, he had the talent for it.

But real greatness wasn't in him. This was truly the best he could have done.

Not long ago, someone asked him how Roger Federer keeps this up, keeps diving even after winning 15 majors.

"Being a fanatic," Safin said. "You have to love it and you have to be a very great competitor, otherwise there is no -- I cannot understand him.

"Even though he's on top of his game, and the tournaments he's got, he wanted to be the best of all-time, so he achieves. He's a player. He's a real player deep inside of him."

Safin is not.

He also contrasted himself from his sister, Dinara Safina, the No. 1 women's player. She works day and night, he said. He considered at times whether to try that, but realized it wouldn't have worked.


So rather than spending his life miserably trying to be something he wasn't, he lived his way.

Safin had been known in his career to lose his head during matches or to snap rudely during interviews. There was none of that Wednesday, other than a short rant about people critical of Dinara for being No. 1.

"Yes, yes, she's really No. 1 in the world," he said. "Go check on the ranking. Apparently, there is some guy who made the ranking. On this ranking, she's No. 1.

"Serena, even though she won two Grand Slams this year, she's No. 2. Sorry, but that's the way. Deal with it."

Would he ever coach his sister? "You want me to hang myself?"

If it hadn't been for tennis, Safin said, he would have been picking up bottles in Moscow, where he's from. He said reaching the heights he reached was like winning the lottery.

"Just everything fit together perfectly," he said. "I'm really pleased the way the life treated me."

The life of failure. A rich, young, tennis-playing, world traveling, partying failure.

Email me at gregcouch09@aol.com