Time Out at 40

Michalis Hatzigiannis | Marcos Baghdatis | Spiros Pisinos

Marcos Baghdatis

Marcos Baghdatis
One of Cyprus’ most famous exports, Baghdatis literally shot to fame by reaching the final of the 2006 Australian Open. Sadly he lost to the then seemingly invincible Roger Federer, but his attractive tennis and equally attractive looks won him many admirers. After many years abroad, he now lives and trains in Cyprus.

If you had to choose between a romantic dinner and a tennis match what would you pick?
Depends on the match…I definitely wouldn’t trade a chance to compete in the Olympics and win a gold medal.

What has been your most exciting tournament so far?
The Australian Open. It was my first ever final and I had the best group of supporters cheering me on. Melbourne has a large Greek community, the stadium was heaving and the atmosphere was fantastic. Feature continues

What was it like returning to Cyprus after so many years of living abroad in France?
I feel much better now. I’m close to my family and friends and I go abroad only for tournaments. It isn’t the easiest thing in the world to leave home as a 14-year-old and have to live on your own in a foreign country.

Do you enjoy being well known?
Not at all. It’s actually quite difficult to handle. I can’t have a private life and even when I do go out I can’t behave just anyway I want to. I’m only 23, but I can’t do the same crazy stuff as my friends. I just want to live like other guys my age.

Have you scored any match points in your personal life?
Personally I haven’t ever scored a match point but a girl has and it turned out well for me. It was a tennis player from the Czech Republic. She left me and I focused all my attention on tennis.

Were there ever times you felt unprotected?
I had a bit of a hard time after the Australian Open. Everyone kept coming up to me, wanting a piece of me. I felt like an inanimate object being tugged from side-to-side. I felt like I had no control. It was the first time this had happened to me and I didn’t know how to handle it. Gradually, though, I got the hang of it.

Have you ever thought about what you might do when you tennis career is over?
I’ll definitely treat myself to all the things I went without for so many years and then I’d like to start a family.
Interview: Barbara Georgiadou

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Michalis Hatzigiannis | Marcos Baghdatis | Spiros Pisinos