VAVEL/Pedro Cunha (VPC): How do you feel about being part of the ATP NextGen? Is it too much pressure being part of it?

Borna Coric (BC): It depends on how you look at it, if you look at it as a pressure and as something that you need to do then yeah, it’s definitely some pressure. But if you look at it as a motivation, and just more motivation to keep you working harder and the ATP is recognizing you, it is extra motivation.

VPC: Many people point you as a future world number one, do you think you’ll be world number one too, like those people think?

BC: I mean, I don’t think because that’s what I hope, that’s what I work every day for, I’m not working to be number two, I’m working to be number one and that’s my goal but I don’t think about that otherwise I’m going to get nervous if I’m not number one in five years or something, so I’m just trying to work as hard as I can every day and just do all the right things to be number one and if I’m not number one then at least I know when I come home I can look at the mirror, at myself and I can say I have done everything and I did try.

VPC: So it’s one of your goals to be number one?

BC: Yes, definitely that’s my goal and I think most of the tennis players want to be number one and they are working to be number one so I think that’s normal. Is it realistic? I don’t know but that’s me and I’m going to try my best to do it.

VPC: And do you prefer to be world number one or to win a Grandslam?

BC: To win a Grand Slam.

VPC: What do you think about the tennis sport right now? Do you think with the dominance that Djokovic, Federer and Nadal impose is there a chance for the new generation?

BC: I mean, there are four/five guys who are really unbeatable basically for the last few years and it is very tough to beat them and to become number five so I don’t know, it depends, we’ll see in five years, but of course what they do is unbelievable and they are still doing it and I think they’ll do it for the next three/five years, so it’s going to be very tough for sure.

VPC: The success from your mates who belong to the NextGen makes you want improve even more?

BC: Yeah, definitely! It’s good to have someone who’s going to keep pushing you and that you can look on them and if you want to be number one and if you are very competitive like me, I think that’s also extra motivation and will keep pushing you hard.

VPC: Do you have like an idol outside the tennis that helps you to achieve your goals in tennis?

BC: No, I mean, it was Mike Tyson, I love his personality, what he did in the boxing and the way he fights but I’m trying to be inspirational by myself, I don’t think you should look at someone, you need to be yourself. I need to be Borna Coric, you need to be yourself and you need to have your motivation I think.

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About the author
Pedro Cunha
I am from Portugal. I discovered tennis when I was nine years old and since then that I´m in love with this sport. The smell of the balls and the orange dust, of the clay where I practice, on my shorts and sneakers make my life better.