Interview with Goran Ivanisevic - August 16, 1990 - Hotel room in Trumbull, CT: actual transcript

Tina: You hate America, don't you.

Goran: No! But I like Europe much more. You are more free. It's fucking unbelievable here, you need to be 21 to go to the disco, to have a drink, showing your ID every two seconds. In Europe, nobody give a shit if you go to the disco, if you're gonna get drunk, if you're gonna drink all fucking day...

Tina: People here are uptight about teenage drinking and sex.

Goran: Ah, sex... In Europe they know me more, they watch what I'm doing. But here, nobody knows me, it's nice.

Tina: People who watch tennis know you.

Goran: Yeah, ok, maybe somebody's gonna recognize me in a disco, but in Europe, especially Germany....Here, I can't even go to the disco, I'm not 21!

Tina: They never ask in New York.

Goran: Come on, they ask everywhere.

Tina: In New York, you can do anything you want.

Goran: Ok, you show me.

Tina: When you're finished at the US Open - woops -

Goran: "When I'm finished" - what is this?

Tina: I'm sorry. I mean, after you've won it...

Goran: That's better.

Tina: I'll take you out to show you. Nobody will care that you're not 21.
What do you like about America?

Goran: Everything. And nothing. It's beautiful. Everyone's always running, jumping, it's crazy. It's a fast life. It's funny. In my hometown, everybody's moving so slow... And here, you can see a lot of things you can't see in Europe.

Tina: But that's just it - when you're here, what do you see? The tournament sites, the hotel rooms.

Goran: I can go to the city everyday if I like.

Tina: You've said that you used to be a very bad boy, but you're not anymore. I'm not sure if you meant on the court or off.

Goran: I was a troublemaker. I was kind of crazy guy, you know? I was throwing the racket, I was swearing, I was screaming. But now it's okay. Now I can control it.

Tina: Now you're doing the Andre Agassi.

Goran: What is this?

Tina: You know, he tries to make it fun on the court, he tries to laugh.

Goran: I don't give a shit about him.

Tina: I knew you wouldn't. He drives you crazy, right?

Goran: No, I don't hate him, why you ask that?

Tina: Because, as an American, he gets so much press, even though he's yet to come up with a big win. And the press is so much about his hair and clothing.

Goran: I don't know him, so I cannot say if he's nice guy.

Tina: Does anybody ever tell you that maybe you should be less rambunctious on the court?

Goran: Ram-bun-shus. What is this?

Tina: Sorry. That's a big word. Rambunctious.

Goran: Rambunctious.

Tina: You know, when you're on the court screaming and bouncing the ball on your head, and the audience is loving it.

Goran: What's wrong with this?

Tina: I just thought that maybe your coach would want you to be less emotional, that it might hurt your concentration.

Goran: Does anyone tell you you shouldn't bite your pen like that? I cannot be angel. No way. I need to do something: I'm gonna bounce the racket, I'm gonna play with the ball, I'm gonna scream. It's more fun. Sometimes, it's a nice feeling, when you're keeping it inside your heart, to give a scream, to let it out. It's a very nice feeling.

Tina: About your diet and training - are you strict about what you eat?

Goran: No. I eat anything.

Tina: Yeah, I saw that at dinner tonight, you ate a plate full of steak, no vegetables or anything. And you're so skinny for such a tall guy - you make me think of my Yugoslavian grandmother, saying "eat, eat" all the time.

Goran: And you're not skinny. You listened to her.

Tina: I'm in pretty good condition. I'm very strong.

Goran: You want to armwrestle?

Tina: I would, but you're a lefty. It wouldn't be fair.

Goran: You're dangerous woman. Yeah, they say I need to be careful, no chocolate, no sugar, no salt, but I'm eating a lot of chocolate, I'm putting 10 spoons of sugar in my coffee -

Tina: You put so much sugar on your blueberries tonight, I couldn't believe my eyes!

Goran: I would have put more, but I was trying to be nice boy.