CHENNAI: Roberto Bautista Agut uses words like it’s no longer in fashion. He is so careful when speaking, he treats the exercise like using Rs 100 notes during an ATM curfew. He is not scared to talk, but has the airs of a man who is afraid to hear his own voice.
It is strange the World No 14 exhibits these vibes, because whenever he isn’t on Tour, he is at El Madrigal, cheering on Villarreal, the club of his dreams. And like most fans, he gives his larynx an immense workout during the 90 minutes.
But, the 28-year-old doesn’t prefer to speak extensively about them. A silent nod and a grin are his only acknowledgments when asked whether he is a “proud Yellow Submarine fan?”
Football has been indelible to his life. He was a part of the junior age-group sides at Villarreal (he left the system before the likes of Juan Roman Riquelme and Santi Cazorla became famous in Spain), before he took to tennis, a sport he found very late as compared to other Spaniards.
His reasoning behind choosing tennis reveals a fascinating character trait — being in complete control of his own action. “Everything depends on you (because it is an individual sport),” is his take.
And he returned to his former love early last year, ironically, to become better at tennis. A call was made to a former Real Madrid trainer, Jorge Simo, who worked with the likes of Roberto Carlos and Fernando Redondo in 1998-99.
The move obviously worked. He won in Auckland and Sofia, before reaching his first Masters final in Shanghai in October. Hence it was no surprise that he called 2016 ‘the best season of my career’.
With Rafael Nadal coming back from injury and unsure about how his body will hold up to the rigours of the Tour, he is well placed to become the leading Spaniard by this time next year.
Agut’s short-term aims don’t extend that far. “Playing in a Grand Slam quarterfinal is one of my goals for 2017. You can’t get close to him. There’s only one Nadal,” he grins.
That doesn’t stop many Iberians from trying — nine of the top 50 in terms of rankings have ESP written next to them. Why is that so? “We have a great tennis culture,” Agut, who was ranked as high as 13 in October 2016, said.
swaroop@newindianexpress.com