For a man who loved the stage bigger and brighter, Marcos Baghdatis remembers his final farewell on tennis’ grandest grounds.
It wasn’t his solitary Grand Slam final, or his Centre Court showdown with a legend, it was in fact the final match he played as a professional.
Marcos Baghdatis said farewell to the world of professional tennis in 2019Getty Images - Getty The Cypriot blazed a trail across the ATP Tour with his passion, shotmaking and showmanshipGetty Images - GettyA fairly routine defeat to a rising star, on Court No.2 at the All England Club as the sun dipped and the shadows lengthened.
Baghdatis was beaten 6-1, 7-6 6-3 by 17th seed Matteo Berrettini who would go on to make the final in SW19 in 2021.
There were plenty of tears on that Thursday afternoon six years ago, as Marcos then-pregnant wife – former top-20 WTA player Karolina Sprem – looked on from the players box as her husband handed out almost all of the equipment from his bag, kissed the grass and waved his goodbyes.
“I always wanted to finish at the high level,” Baghdatis tells talkSPORT just a stone’s throw from the All-England Club as he launches a new venture of his own, the Marcos Baghdatis Tennis Academy.
“For me, one of the best places to retire in tennis, it’s… I mean, Wimbledon, right? I mean, that’s the best place to retire and I had the opportunity to have that experience.
“It was a nice moment.”
The Cypriot had a career full of nice moments, including wins over world No.1’s Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – even though the pair stopped him at his closest point to winning a Grand Slam title.
He won four ATP titles, but suffered eight defeats in Slams to Federer, Nadal and Djokovic and his best chances of a major fell at the hands of all three icons of the game.
Now 40, and preparing for the Men’s Invitational Doubles tournament at Wimbledon where he will partner Xavier Malisse this year – he is in a reflective mood.
But with moments the theme of the conversation, there is only one place to turn, a memorable 2006.
He suffered Wimbledon semifinal defeat to Rafael NadalGetty Images - Getty And lost to Matteo Berettini in his final match as a professionalGetty Images - GettyHe started the year by reaching the Australian Open final, a thrilling run that ended with a four set defeat to Federer in the final.
On to Wimbledon and Baghdatis was too strong for Andy Murray in the fourth round of just the Scot’s second Wimbledon, and he then beat former champion Leyton Hewitt in the quarterfinals.
Defeat to Rafael Nadal came in the semifinal, before the final Grand Slam of the year in New York and Baghdatis’ idol Andre Agassi who was playing his final ever tournament.
Baghdatis rallied from two sets down to take the match to a decider, where Agassi prevailed, before a third round defeat – it immortalises Baghdatis as the last man eight-time Grand Slam champion Agassi would beat.
“As a kid, as a seven, eight-year-old, it was Andre Agassi,” Baghdatis smiles.
“The last person he beat. I was very emotional in that match. It was an honour, a pleasure to not just to share the court but to be the last man he ever beat.
Agassi was an inspiration for a young BaghdatisGetty“Last year we brought him to the academy. An exhibition match for the grand opening of the academy. He was our guest.
“To be able to do that with a person I admire since a very young age, it’s just a dream. come true also and bring him to Cyprus.”
Baghdatis run to the Australian Open final in 2006 was one of tennis more memorable occasions, the man from Cyprus on the brink of becoming his country’s first ever Grand Slam winner.
Roared on by the Cypriot community at Melbourne Park he came close to winning the title as an unseeded contender – knocking out four seeds, including Andy Roddick along the way.
Federer proved too strong, but only after Baghdatis had taken the first set to spark wild scenes on Rod Laver Arena.
Injuries hampered him throughout much of his career, but the presence of the big three stopped many a player having their major breakthrough.
Of the 60 Grand Slam events between Baghdatis’ first in 2004 and last in 2019, 51 were won by either Federer, Nadal or Djokovic.
Baghdatis was beaten in the Australian Open final by Roger FedererGetty Images - Getty“Djokovic was the toughest, with all my respect to the others,” he says when asked to reflect on the greatest.
“I just felt that there was no solution against him, you know, like it was always something, it depended on him. With the others, depending on when you play Rafa on hard courts or Roger, you know, you could always find something that, you know, you can disturb and win.
“But Djokovic for me, it was impossible.”
While Djokovic marches into yet another quarterfinal, Baghdatis harbours no regrets over the career he had, in fact he believes their standards made him – and his peers – even better.
“When I lost the match against Djokovic in quarterfinals Wimbledon, it was 2007, 7-5 in the fifth.
“It was like very hurtful, that was the most hurtful match ever. But you know, it pushed me to want more. If you don’t have pain, you cannot push through, right? I mean, you have to feel the pain.
AFPAlmost 20 years on from a quarterfinal victory over Baghdatis at Wimbledon, the Serb is into the last eight again[/caption]“That was the one that, kept me going and pushing me to want more and more and more. They definitely helped me and our generation improve as, as also as people, as ambassadors of the sport, as everything, just not just tennis players.”
Baghdatis is now striving to find the stars of the future himself, alongside wife Karolina – a Wimbledon quarterfinalist herself in 2004 – they have launched the Marcos Baghdatis Tennis Academy.
It’s a subject close to his heart, having left home as a teenager to join the Patrick Mouratoglou Academy.
“Since I was born, my father was taking us to the tennis club. I was watching them play and my older brother was my idol. I followed their steps
“I had to leave Cyprus when I was 14 years old to go to Paris to proceed or follow my dream.
“20 years later I see there are still no facilities there or not the right people. Of course tennis has improved and there are so many players or kids who play tennis, but the facilities are not there.
“That was always the goal, the dream, the motivation of trying to help or work with people that have dreams and try to achieve their dreams. Maybe their dream is not just becoming professional tennis players but also going to college in America and studying.
“It’s just giving opportunities to people to have a better life and that’s the goal.”
Marcos and Karolina have three children of their own, it’s the reason following the Andy Murray or Goran Ivanisevic path to the coaches box, doesn’t hold too much appeal.
“I did it a bit with Svitolina. Of course, but it didn’t work out. Family, it was very tough at that moment. COVID hit, everything, all that. So it didn’t work out that way.
“It’s time to be a dad, time to be there and try to do some stuff, some things also for Cyprus and the kids.
“If I was to coach, I would prefer to have a junior to develop. You want to make a difference in somebody’s life, and that’s what I want. And you can do it from a young age, be there, try to mentor them, try to prepare them for what’s coming.”
Marcos was speaking to talkSPORT at the UK launch of the new Serve and Stay tennis packages at the Marcos Baghdatis Tennis Academy based at City of Dreams, Mediterranean in Limassol, Cyprus.
For more information visit www.cityofdreamsmed.com.cy/en
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( I retired at Wimbledon, was last man beaten by Andre Agassi and ‘impossible’ Novak Djokovic was the toughest of the big three )
Also on site :