It won’t be easy to write this, but got to embrace the challenges. We all have an expiration date and are replaceable. The machine keeps going, that is the same for sport and life. It’s funny when you arseclown gamblers telling players to retire, cause they lost a bet or aren’t as good as they were. Players know when it’s time to finish, plus if you watch closely enough you can see the signs.
Seppi has been very durable only Feli Lopez and Verdasco had played at more consecutive Grand Slam events. This year when I watched him live in Melbourne, he looked a step slower which is natural in your late 30s though he still looks youthful. As tennis keeps evolving, being a step slower especially without a major weapons, not getting to the ball which means the weaker shots get hammered and more on the defensive. For sure there are still good days but the base level isn’t there. With the Kaltern’s finest getting more injuries and more difficulty playing, it makes sense for him to retire at this time.
As for the Italian federation they have treated Seppi’s career is an afterthought. Then with the farce in Napoli it’s good that he didn’t play there. The fact the federation refused Seppi a wildcard at Florence and Napoli as a way to say goodbye to the Italian fans is disgraceful. He was a top 20 player, played Davis Cup, the Olympics, was the Italian number 1 for a while and huge inspiration for fellow South Tyrolean the Prince Jannik Sinner. There are plenty of young Italian players who won’t struggle to get into events.
Sure it’s a Challenger but thankfully Seppi finished in Urtijëi which is the name of the town in the dominant local Ladin , St. Ulrich in Gröden or as it’s known on the ATP in Ortisei. Yes, for those who don’t know there are 3 languages in South Tyrol German, Italian and Ladin plus many speak English well. It’s fitting he is retiring in the province, it’s where he’s from, where he met his wife. The families will be there and friends as well, he deserves a good send off.
There are many reasons why people gravitate to certain players. Some it’s the visual, some it’s the game, the attitude, then there are absolute random reasons. As for Seppi, he’s from a region which is known for their winter sports and Reinhold Messner, it was unusual that Seppi took this path but a good thing. Super coach Jack Reader who was living in Italy at time was the first person Seppi hit with, then not long after he met Max Sartori who was his only coach during his career which is admirable.
Seppi was the epitome of professional, totally maximised his ability as a tennis player which is all you can ask. Well respected by his peers, even the controversial cats like Kyrgios appreciate him, as an excellent competitor, and not one with histrionics nor bending the rules. If I had a junior, I’d tell them to watch how Seppi competes and learn from that.
2012 was the golden year for Seppi where he won 2 titles and made 2 finals, sure it would have been great if he had won more titles or made a quarter final at a Slam where he had numerous 4th round exits, but we can’t have everything. Slams are not won because you are a good person.
Before his peak season Seppi’s improvement was a gradual process, as the game has become more physical and speed endurance is key the majority of players are having later breakthroughs. Seppi did not play that many Challengers earlier in the year, as his coach Max Sartori wanted him to play better players, so once the ranking was high enough he’d play qualifiers at the ATP that was they went. It definitely helped when it came to be competing and helped improvement as it should when playing a higher standard.
Seppi’s first final was in Gstaad and it came out of nowhere as he was in poor form before the tournament and ranked outside of the top 100. He won 2 3rd set tiebreakers to make main draw and managed to get through and was leading 5-3 in the 3rd set before losing 7-5. Only I could support players that lose a lead against Paul-Henri Mathieu haha. Seppi said, “Maybe I was too nervous as it was very unexpected. It was tough to lose 7-5 in the 3rd but it was a good week as I made it back to the top 100”. Then when he won Eastbourne in 2001 it was on a retirement while leading in the 3rd set against Tipsarevic.
Best Wins
The two most memorable matches for King of South Tyrol were both against Swiss players for very different reasons. In 2012 the against Wawrinka in Rome, one thing that is known in the tennis world is that the Italian crowds are very passionate, like to get involved and if they like you then it’s a lot of warmth, if they don’t like you then they’ll get on your case ask Ivan Lendl and Steffi Graf.
Wawrinka was the higher ranked player but Seppi urged on by the Roman crowd who created a great atmosphere like it was Davis Cup, managed to save 6 match points and win the match. Seppi was a player who generally had to beat and wouldn’t just give you matches. The last set tiebreaker is on Youtube and definitely worth watching.
Federer
Seppi had a poor record against Federer like many players. Tennis is about match ups and this one did not favour Seppi. However there was this glorious day in Melbourne where Seppi was the master. There are those rare days where everything just goes well.
From the man himself, “Of course it was the best win of my career for sure. I think beating him in a Grand Slam is very difficult you know. In the last 10 years he was always in the quarters and semis, so beating him was something special for sure.
I’d have to say this was a match where I was very calm and in the important moments I didn’t get very nervous. It’s hard to find that feeling again as I don’t know how it happened. I was feeling very calm and never had that feeling before on the court, so it was a strange situation and that’s how I could beat him”.
Yes, Seppi beat Nadal, Federer and took Djokovic to 5 sets at Roland Garros. Tennis is a bit like wrestling in the way that there are only limited spots at the top of the tree, though some would say wrestling is more believable. At the same time it takes all kinds of players and the sport needs variety especially in these times of uniformity.
Seppi was almost on the tour for 20 years, achieved a lot, maximised his potential, the ultimate professional, one that the Prince Jannik Sinner looked up to and hopefully Seppi will coach Sinner in the future. We are all replaceable and it’s important to know when to go. One great chapter has closed and the new one is beginning. Seppi can spend more time with his wife, 2 kids Liv and Hugo who will grow up in a multilingual environment and there are worse places to be than Boulder and Val Gardena.
It has been a pleasure following your career, yes the wins and losses, but it was never about the results. Andreas Seppi wins at life, that’s all you need to know.
Danke King of South Tyrol
7 comments:
What a great player. Great all round guy. Great article as always
Seppi was a warhorse and always good test for the younger players about life on the tennis tour. We all know he is a favourite subject of the blog and definitely helped me learn more about Seppi.
Great article as always.
A great article about a fun player. The tour will miss him.
Got absolutely everything out of his game over a decade and more, he'll have no regrets. Best of luck for the future.
What a brilliant write up! I've always been a huge Seppi fan: loved his ethos, his no nonsense "northern" personality (I'm also Italian), his quiet determination through those 5-set GS marathons, his impeccable demeanour on court, his ability to make the most of what he had. Who knows what dizzying heights he could have achieved with a big serve? But it doesn't matter, certainly not today. It doesn't matter because I loved him for who he was, and boy will I miss him. That Eastbourne final, I was fuming when his unworthy opponent whose name shall not be mentioned retired denying him the victory lap he so thoroughly deserved. I'm still seething. And that win v Roger at the AO, I most certainly wasn't as calm as you claim to have been. Now both my no. 1 fave Youzhny and Seppi have retired, I feel bereft, and a bit "orphaned". Looking for my next idol, but that may take a while because I tend to prefer more mature players who've always worked with the same coach all their lives, those who've had to play Challengers to climb up the ranking again. Youzhny ended his career ranked 103, Seppi 310. Numbers mean nothing, it's all in heart. Grazie di tutto, Andy.
What a fitting tribute to Seppi. He had an outstanding career and made the top 20 without a second serve. The numerous 5 set battles with Istomin.
Time to enjoy the new chapter.
This a great write up and a very well deserved tribute to the King of Tirol!!
I've always been a fan. He had a great career and such a nice personality!
Time to enjoy the extra time with his family!
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