Fan favourite Marcos Baghdatis announced a few days ago that Wimbledon will be the final professional tournament of his career.

The 34-year-old Cypriot begins his campaign at the All England Club against Canadian Brayden Schnur on Tuesday. Ahead of the tie the former world No.8 discussed his decision to hang up his racket, his most emotional memories, and the legacy he leaves behind.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

With hip, foot and ankle problems ravaging his body over the past few years, Baghdatis has jumped in and out of the top 100 multiple times since the start of 2014.

On his decision to call it a career, he said: “I think it’s about time for me. I feel that it’s been a good ride. It’s been hard the last two years on the body, trying to get back to where I believe my level is. And unfortunately the body doesn’t allow that for me.

“This year I had great news that my wife [former WTA player Karolina Sprem] got pregnant and we’re expecting our third child. It made my decision a bit easier. I’m so grateful to be able to finish my career here. It’s an honour to be able to finish his career at this historic tournament.”

THE WIMBLEDON CONNECTION

Baghdatis’ greatest moment may have come at the Australian Open when he made the final in 2006, but Wimbledon holds a special place in his heart, and it’s arguably the Grand Slam where has been the most consistent. He reached the semi-finals at SW19 in 2006, the quarter-finals in 2007 and the fourth round in 2008, amassing a 21-13 win-loss record at the tournament entering this Fortnight.

On why he chose to retire at Wimbledon, he said: “There are many reasons. The timing is like this, it’s my wife’s favourite tournament, and the first ever match I saw on TV was [the final between] Andre Agassi against Goran Ivanisevic here in 1992. I was seven years old.

“I had some great runs here, even though, yes, I didn’t reach the final as in the Australian Open, but my results here are much more consistent years through years. And it’s just the most historical place to play tennis, so I think I cannot be more grateful to be able to retire here.”

FOND MEMORIES

Asked to recall some of his favourite memories from Wimbledon, Baghdatis said: “Beating Lleyton Hewitt in the quarters in 2006. That was a nice match, I remember I played a very, very good match. Losing to Novak [Djokovic] 7-5 in the fifth, a five hours four minutes match in 2007 quarter-finals. I had some great matches here. I beat some great players, I lost to some great players. Yeah it’s been nice.”

MAKING A LASTING IMPRESSION

Baghdatis has always been a popular figure in tennis, and had a strong connection with all fans, not just the vocal Greek and Cypriot contingent that followed him around. He believes that’s the biggest part of the legacy he leaves behind.

“I think it’s what they say I left in the sport, it’s the smile. The smile, the enjoyment, the energy. Before I announced it I thought whenever I played it was the fans, that every match was like that, but then when I announced my retirement, I got so many messages and I realised what I feel for the fans, they feel for me,” he explained.

“And for me that’s the best gift anybody can have, the respect and the love from another person is for me so important. So to leave behind kind of a bit this legacy , I’m happy with that. I’ll take it.”

CHALLENGING THE BEST

Baghdatis has a combined 5-29 win-loss against the ‘Big Four’ of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. He posted at least one victory against each of them except Djokovic, and was asked if he felt privileged to have coincided with them in this historic era of tennis.

“Yes, but I still wish they were not here,” he responded with a laugh.

“Of course I do feel privileged. If you see the last 15, 20 years, the winners of Grand Slams are not even 10 [different men]. That’s what was very hard. But for sure I do feel privileged to have been able to play with them, not once, not twice, many times. To compete against them and win against them.”

On why he found Djokovic so tough to beat (he is 0-8 against the Serb), Baghdatis said: “I was very close a lot of times, we had some great battles. I don’t know. He’s kind of the same game as me, but a lot better, and maybe that’s the reason. I couldn’t find a way to disrupt his game, maybe change it up, mix it up. I think we had a similar game but he was above me all the time.”

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Baghdatis is certain that retiring is the right decision but he’s yet to determine what he plans on doing next.

“I don’t know. I’m the kind of guy who would really think about what I want to do because I’m the person who wants to do a thing with love and with happiness. I don’t want to just decide I’m going to do this and we’ll see,” he revealed.

“I really want to do something that I love and work with people that are happy, want to work and want enjoy life at the same time. I cannot tell you now, I have no plan, yes I have a plan in the next 5-10 years what I want to do in Cyprus to help the sport, but in the near future, no plan.” 

NO REGRETS (EXCEPT MAYBE ONE)

Baghdatis was known for breaking rackets, famously destroying four in a minute at the 2012 Australian Open. Asked if there was anything he would have done differently if he had the chance to go back in time he said: “Definitely not breaking those rackets, that wasn’t a proud moment for me. Looking back, if I would do things differently, maybe my life would end up differently. I don’t think I would. I’m very happy with the life, in general, that I have,” he says.

“I always thought there is a life besides tennis, there are other priorities, I have two beautiful children, we’re expecting a third one, I could not ask for more. Yes I could have done better for sure. Anybody in this world can do better, but to go back and think, ‘What would I change?’ That’s not my personality, I wouldn’t go there.”

ALL ABOUT EMOTIONS

Baghdatis expects there will be tears when he bids farewell to the sport this Fortnight, and jokes that he’s already been crying for two weeks. Never one to shy away from his emotions, the fiery Cypriot looked back to the most emotional day of his tennis career.

“Definitely [winning] the semi-finals of the Australian Open [in 2006], definitely that was the most emotional ever. Because it was the first one, I left home when I was 14, and I felt that that day everything came out, everything. all the pressure of all these years, all the hard work, all the sacrifices, not only that I did, but all the people around me, helping me and being there for me, it was like a gift back to them because I felt everything coming out. I think that was the most emotional day of my life,” he says.

BACKING STEFANOS TO REACH TOP

Baghdatis is proud to be an inspirational figure for youngsters in Cyprus and Greece. He got a better idea of what his exploits meant to others from his region when he got to spend time with 20-year-old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is up to No.6 in the world and has spoken at length about the influence Baghdatis has had on him. The veteran believes Tsitsipas is on course to reach the summit of the sport.

“I think he can go to No.1 in the world, that’s for me definite. There is so much room for improvement in his game, and to achieve what’s he’s achieved being like that and still having so much room for improvement it’s pretty amazing,” he says. “I wish he was on tour earlier, honestly. It’s so nice the last two, three years to have somebody that speaks your language, you can relate, you can talk jokes in your own language and your own country. Honestly I wish Maria [Sakkari] and him were a bit earlier on tour so we could have more fun and enjoy more, but I think he’s an unbelievable guy and I think the future is his in this sport.

“I just hopes he takes the right decisions in the next one or two years and keeps doing what he’s doing, and not lose his concentration and mind and go somewhere else, that’s the only thing. If he does that right, he’s going to be amazing for this sport.”