Good Times Bad Times an Interview with Taro Daniel

Hello readers, yes, it has been a while and we are living in very strange times.

Today I completed an extensive interview with the cosmopolitan Japanese player Taro Daniel who has an American father and Japanese mother born in New York City, moved to Japan and then Spain. Taro was very generous with his time for which I am thankful for as he spoke eloquently about many different subjects.

2020 was a strange year and 2021 has continued on the same path. You had to play Australian Open qualies in Doha and now have a 14 day quarantine. How has the experience been for you so far?

It’s been very interesting to go through a time like this. Good or bad times are changing and we have to accept certain things and let it be unless it is under your control.

How have you managed your time in quarantine?

My time in quarantine has been going well for now. I've been keeping busy with training and talking to a lot of people.

How old were you when you started playing tennis?

I was 7 in Saitama Japan.

Did you play another sports? If so, when did you decide to focus on tennis?

I only played a little bit of soccer in kindergarten but nothing else really. I wish I had played more other sports when I was younger.

Do you thinking playing different sports as a kid before focusing on tennis would have helped your career?

Yes, for sure. Most top players played something when they were kids.

How old were you when you moved to Spain and how was the culture shock arriving from Japan?

I was 13 and I struggled in the beginning because people in Europe were not very friendly at first sight 15 years ago. They become great friends once you get to know them and that was a difficult part in the beginning.

How long did it take you to learn Spanish and feel comfortable using the language?

It took me about 4,5 months and once I was at conversational level, it went very quick.

How beneficial was it for your tennis career and development as a person by moving to Spain?

Even though I struggled in the beginning, it was definitely the most enriching experience of my life. I was able to experience the Spanish culture and learn tennis from many quality coaches. Being able to speak Spanish is a very big bonus as well for being on the tour.

There are many Futures events in Spain how advantageouswas it for you to have access to so many tournaments?

It was great to have so many of those quality futures driving distance from Valencia. The quails were 128 draw always and there was a year when I passed every single one of them. It definitely made me tougher.

When did you think you would be able to make it as a professional?

I always believed in it or knew that it was what I was going to do. Even when I was a kid. I was not that worried about what I had to do if I didn't make it.

You won your first Challenger event in Vercelli against Pippo Volandri. What do you remember about that match and the week?

I remember that I had a massive argument when my coach at the time before the tournament started. I went through some tough matches and played a great final against a great player. I do not remember too much of the details though.


Do you enjoy playing in Italy?

It’s a love and hate for me in Italy. I have great weeks there but also bad ones. I love it because of their passion and food but also there are many times when things are not well organized. So, it is a mix.

What have been your experiences on the Futures and Challenger tour. Do you have any funny stories you can share?

There are many little stories that are fun. But I will share the craziest one that I had. I was in Shenzhen China and I was on my way to Japan after I finished. As you know, China is massive and even if you are in the same city you need to leave 4-5 hours before your flight to get to the airport. My taxi driver got into a car accident with a massive truck and made me miss my ferry to get to the airport in Hong Kong. I had to negotiate with some black market taxi drivers to get me to the Hong Kong airport as soon as possible and I barely made the flight



In 2018 you defeated Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells. What do you remember about the match and your feelings afterwards?

It was a great moment where I know I did something special for my career. I remember being happy but also, I knew that he was not nearly at his best. I was able to take advantage of that.

Also, in that year you won your first ATP 250 in Istanbul. You were down 0-4 in the 3rd set vs. Dutra Silva. What do you remember about that match and the week?

I remember that Dutra was playing great tennis that match. I just went point by point when I was 40 down and before I knew it, I was 64 up. That week was more of a relief since I felt that I really felt that my level has the potential to go higher in the rankings.

Taro Daniel wuith ATP Istanbul 250 title

How disappointing was it that you were unable to defend the title?

I did not mind it that much. It actually happens a lot with titles that I have won. Vercelli, Furth, Yokohama, Istanbul a lot of those tournament did not get repeated.

Futures prizemoney has hardly changed the since 1980s. Challenger prizemoney at its worst had decreased 30$ from 1995 relatively. Before the pandemic it has increased slightly. What can be done to readdress some of the balance?

It is very difficult to see what is necessary to have prize money increases in Challengers and futures. I think the approach for each circuit will be different because challengers are run by ATP and the futures by ITF. The challengers perhaps will benefit more from better quality streaming since I know that many people enjoy watching it. That might increase stream flow and bring in more money. For the futures, I think take some of the money from Grand Slams and trickle it in down there. I think that these futures players should be getting more as well,

You said " When money or sponsors come into your life, they bring new problems. Sometimes I feel almost guilty for having them. You'd have the players around my ranking struggling financially sometimes I feel the pressure to keep on improving my ranking in order to maintain status I have gained in Japan". Can you explain the new problems that have increased and how you are dealing with them?

I think I am passed that stage of feeling guilty right now. I am simply grateful of the support I receive and also am aware of my value. I am working to let things be and not desire anything too much. Keep being in the moment in order to enjoy whatever that is in front of me.

The ATP is meant to be a joint union between players and tournament directors, but it seems to favour the tournament directors. Are there ways to improve the organisation to have better representation and reputation among the players?

I think the representation of the players need to improve drastically and also; we have to get rid of obvious conflicts of interest within our player board reps. We deserve representatives that their sole purpose in tennis is to represent players interest without having to work for TV channels and data companies. We also need a better structure within the player council. Currently it is very top heavy because of the allocation of the seats. We need more seats outside of the top 100 and 200 so that we can have the voices of all the members heard instead of only the top 50.

Willy Cañas said “The ATP practices discrimination from an economic standpoint, like any multinational corporation. It’s just another of millions that there are in the world. Point being that I accept it, but I'm not buying into it that it is a group of players that decide (players union) because it isn't like that”. Do you believe that Willy is correct on this particular issue?

Players from Latin countries are very misrepresented despite being a very strong tennis community. Grand Slams have too much power over what tennis does and I think players need to have some of that power by having a strong representation within the ATP and outside of the ATP.

How can the current ATP Player Representatives ensure that the players who earn the vast majority of revenue through prizemoney and not sponsorship are able to survive in the sport?

I think to fight for a bigger piece of the pie in the Grand Slams? But this is difficult since money is a tough topic right now with so many people suffering from COVID-19 and business closures.

What do you think about the Professional Tennis Players Association? Has this been put on hold due to COVID-19?

The PTPA is being established right now I believe. In the US Open players simply showed up and supported the creation of the organiz\sation. I believe the PTPA can be great for the players especially if they set up the representatives correctly.

What is the purpose of ATP University?

ATP University is to educate the players on basic things that ATP provides in terms of medical, integrity, doping, media etc., but I think they need to focus a lot more on player representation and how the ATP structure is set up because I do not remember learning too much about that.

What do you think of new format of Davis Cup?

I have mixed feelings about it. There is no doubt that it is easier on the schedule and the money is better but on the other hand there were barely any crowds in the stands. Playing home and away had a special feeling but it took a very heavy toll on our body and the schedule.

One of the things the sceptics were questioning about the new event was the lack of crowds for matches not involving Spain. For the other semi final not involving Spain there were many empty seats which was unheard of during the previous format. It was not a good look and how can they resolve that going forward?

I have no idea how they can resolve it. I was very surprised myself that not many people came to watch especially in the later rounds. I know that in the round robin, the tickets were sold per tie so maybe that was the reason. Also, I think that the people were confused with the new rules and the format. This Covid timing is not positive for the flow of the new Davis cup either.

Your first Davis Cup win was a World Group promotion tie away in Colombia defeating Falla with Japan coming back from 2-1 down to win the 5th rubber. What do you remember about the match, the atmosphere and the feeling of winning an away tie in front of a tough crowd?

It is a great memory. One of the more exciting ties I played in my Davis career. The atmosphere was against us but very energetic with Colombians. I also felt for the first time that things were up to me for Japan to pass to the World Group and I played a great match dominating him. I enjoyed it a lot.
Daniel winning in Colombia


The new format has killed the points of difference that Davis Cup had from regular events. Players going to places where they normally wouldn’t play. Playing in front of partisan crowds with some players rising above their normal levels and vice versa. Was the decision to change just based on financial consideration, or were there any other alternatives discussed for example moving to a Ryder Cup format playing it every 2 years in a non Olympics year?

Well, the old format was great. It is hard to beat the honorable feeling of playing at home or the energetic against crowd. The thing was that we could not fit that much Davis Cup every single year. So, I think either played it every 2 years or playing it over 2 years was a valid option. The financial compensation was very poor for being such an important event. So, for a lot of players, it felt like the negatives were too great even though they wanted to keep playing. In my opinion, the old format played over 2 years would be the best!

What do you think of the ATP Cup? Can the ATP and Davis Cup co-exist or will the ITF and ATP negotiate a compromise between the events?

Co-exist is what we want. But I think it is very complicated given the relationship that the ITF and the ATP have. I hope they come up with something because I thought the ATP Cup was great. It had the crowd and the energy that the new Davis Cup did not have.

What do you think about the length of the tennis season?

I was actually talking about this with my coach. If points lasted 2 years instead of 1 year the way it is currently, players could choose to play less tournaments. The reason is because you can be more selective with the weeks that you are more likely to earn points and not play the weeks where you did well last year. I hope this will be something that is considered in the future So instead of playing 30 weeks a year, we could play anywhere from 20-25.

What solutions would you propose besides a 2 year ranking system in relation to the schedule?

I would like more space between swings. Something like 3-4 tournament swings and 2 weeks off but this is impossible due to the high demand of tournaments.

How widespread do you believe doping is on the tour and have you ever been tested at an unreasonable or ridiculous hour?

I really doubt that doping is wide spread. In this day and age, I find it impossible for someone to successfully dope because of the amount of times we get tested. I have gotten tested in my home in very early times of the morning yes.

How widespread is match fixing on the tour. Are there any solutions to minimise the impacts of corruption?

I know that match fixing definitely exists in the futures levels. You only hear stories about it but I can image that it is very scary once you get into it. I think only way to get rid of it completely is to ban betting on tennis I believe.

With the rise of social media one of the negative aspects are the small percentage of idiotic gamblers who send abusive messages to players who have lost a match. Are the tennis authorities or social media platforms taking this problem seriously enough?

I find it impossible to completely eradicate these messages. How do you know someone will send an abusive message before he or she does it if they just created a fake account? Because most of the times they come from fake accounts that they don't mind having it banned.

What are your favourite tournaments?

I don't have favorites because it depends many times on organization and how you do in that tournament!

Where is the worst place you have ever stayed on tour?

There was a tournament in Suzhou, China. That was tough. It was very hard to reach and the courts were in the middle of a chicken farm.

Who are your best friends on tour?

I would say all the Japanese guys, some of the Spanish players, Millman, and JP Smith,

Can you name the best and worst matches you have played?

I think the best tennis I have played was against Nadal in US Open and the worst probably 2 years ago in Milan against Musetti.

You have played Djokovic and Nadal, what was it like playing them?

They have a special quality to their ball. They also have a presence that not many other players have. I really enjoyed feeling the speed and the quality of their ball. Especially Djokovic's backhand down the line really stretches like crazy.

You played your best tennis against Nadal in the US Open but you didn't win. What did you take away from that match?

I hit so many winners that night it was a strange feeling for me. I never swung so freely in a match before. I also felt that in order to beat Rafa, you have to play perfect for 3-4 hours straight.

You have never played Federer, is he the one guy you have never played but would like to before he retires?

Yes, Federer is on my bucket list haha

Are you still a fan of Movement Culture? Can you explain what it is and how you got into it?

Yes definitely am. It is a practice of endless movements deriving from countless practices. It really opens up your mind to new possibilities your body gives you. I got into it because of my father. I am certain that exercises and the discipline I gained from this practice has kept me off injuries.

How long have you been doing it and how does it benefit you?

I do not practice as much anymore but I have been involved in it for over 2 years now. There are many prehab exercises that are extremely tough and tests your joins and ligaments. You learn how to do them with calculated risk and that makes you have more bulletproof joints.

How important is nutrition and are there any foods that you can’t resist even though they are not good for you?

Nutrition is extremely important but I do not have hardcore restrictions. I am pretty healthy by nature. I try to eat as many things as possible. I do like pairing beer and wine with food so I only do that once in a while.

What are your favourite cuisines?

I like anything. It is about quality.

What is the one food you never tire of? On the flipside the worst thing you have ever eaten?

I never get tired of bone broth. Worst thing is probably some type of sweets. Not a huge fan of sweet stuff.

You went to Iceland in 2019. How did you rate your Icelandic experience and your best memories?

Iceland was amazing. There was one hike I loved which had a natural river hot spring at the top. It is called Reykjadalur. The nature is completely different over there and I also enjoyed the cold.

Taro in Iceland

Did you enjoy the anonymity in Iceland?

Definitely. The culture was very interesting as well. Very progressive in a way but also felt like I went back few hundred years in time.

How would you sum up the 2020 season?

2020 was a strange year for everyone. I think I learned a lot and made a lot of progress as a person and also as a tennis player.

How did the partnership with coach Sven Groeneveld begin? What are the areas where Sven can help you maximise your potential?

I knew him from few years ago but my dad connected me to him. My dad was living in Amsterdam and that is why they were able to connect easier. Sven is helping me maximize on every area of the game. I do not want to get too specific on that.

What are your goals for 2021?

To keep raising self awareness and live in the now. There are obvious goals like going back in top 100 and making Olympics but that is out of my control.

It’s time for word association

Paella-Valencia

Millman-Respect

Melbourne-Australian Open

Sushi-Best in Japan

Dani Gimeno-Great Guy

Anime-Demon Slayer

Airport-Singapore

Hakarl-Odour

Led Zeppelin-Best band ever
Once again I must thank Taro Daniel for his time in giving such an extensive and enjoyable video.