"The ending is as important as the beginning, one must bid farewell to tennis properly"

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Roberto Bautista has just landed in Paris to play his last Roland Garros. There he will experience another symbolic moment, accompanied as always by Pepe Vendrell, the man who has been by his side throughout his sporting life. The man who will also close a chapter at the end of this season.

These are times to talk about Roberto Bautista, a legend of Spanish tennis who will hang up his racket at the end of this calendar year. His career is unquestionable, as is the work of the man who guided his steps to the elite. Pepe Vendrell (Castellón, 1980) is a calm, reflective, attentive man, someone worth having around. This is how Roberto himself understood it after sharing almost 16 years on the circuit with him. A story that must be told from both perspectives.

I have been lucky to speak with Pepe several times in the past. I did it when they started, I repeated when they reached the sky with those Wimbledon semifinals, and I was even there at the end of 2021 when they decided to go their separate ways. Like any romance, their relationship has gone through all phases, the good and the not-so-good. Now it's time to live the final chapter, the farewell, as important as any other.

Right in the first days of this past Copa Faulconbridge, the Valencia Tennis Club brings about my reunion with Vendrell. "I think we have a pending chat," I quickly say, planting the seed for a future interview. "No problem," he replies with a smile. It will be on Thursday, after Roberto's defeat against Bergs in the round of 16, when Pepe himself comes to find me to keep his word.

How was your experience in Valencia? The tribute after the match with Bergs brought tears to many.

It has been a day of celebration, the goal we have is to get close to that level and the truth is that it has been a great match. Rober is defending his identity and essence, which is a very ambitious goal, finishing close to this level. It is something we have to value and we have to fight a lot for it, but he is achieving it.

Knowing Rober, do you think he is leaving satisfied with the Copa Faulconbridge?

Yes, because we work a lot on dialogue towards gratitude. The day you lose, you're upset, that doesn't change, but you have to bring out that part of gratitude for seeing yourself playing at this level at his age and after everything that has happened to him this year. On the other side was Zizou Bergs, a player who is looking up, but during many moments of the match, the feeling was that Roberto was setting the pace. We leave Valencia with a very good taste, now it's time to continue because this doesn't end here.

What holds you back from competing at your best? Is it purely physical?

It is very much linked to the number of matches you can play because these matches are what build your physical condition, shape you. We weren't able to play these matches, it didn't allow us to reach that intensity due to problems. Fortunately, now he is physically clean, healthy, that's why he is starting to extend that quality in the matches. This will shape him and elevate his level; I am convinced that a nice opportunity will come.

In the grass court swing, maybe?

Well, now we have Roland Garros and the Prostejov Challenger. Then comes the grass court swing, where you always pull out something surprising.

What about the grass?

It's a surface he likes, where his tennis adapts well, his game shines more than elsewhere. Hopefully, he can have a high-quality and competitive swing there.

And after Wimbledon, what's next?

When your ranking drops, you start to depend on the rankings, where you can and can't play, but it doesn't keep us up at night either. We are very clear that the homework is done, the important work that had to be done in his career has been tripled, so we are very satisfied. We can only be grateful for how everything has gone.

Rober told me in an interview that if he could, he would start this journey all over again.

A few years ago, he wouldn't have said the same thing (laughs). Now that the end is approaching, I believe he is starting to appreciate it more, even missing it. We are very focused on understanding this moment well; we must bid farewell to tennis properly, but we must continue to give our maximum effort to achieve it because it won't be handed to us. We've experienced some strong disappointments, but this is the story of a lifetime. Tennis has taught him to be strong, has instilled values in him, has shown him how to surpass himself every day... it's in his DNA.

How are you feeling? Being a coach is also exhausting.

I still have a lot of energy to be by his side and try to push him in that direction.

After such a good and long career, how important is the end?

For me, the end is as important as the middle, as the beginning. It's about respecting you as an athlete, as a professional, continuing to take care of every detail. There will be days when you don't feel like it, but until the end, you have to try, you have to bring out that professional pride. I insist, for me, the end is just as important as any other phase, that's why I don't want you to let go of any bit of demand. This is how we have managed to make this whole journey real.

Are you worried about the where?

I'm worried zero.

And the when?

It doesn't matter to me. I don't know if it will be in September, October, or November, it's not relevant to me. However, until the last moment, we have to remain true to what has built a career that will always be remembered. Not for the Grand Slam titles, but for consistency, a unique style, and exemplary professional behavior. I place a lot of value on these factors.

How do you think Roberto Bautista will be remembered?

As an example, he's a mirror. Roberto is a person who has known how to maximize every area of his game, every physical and mental aspect, achieving a consistency that, for me, is at the top. In such a demanding sport, being in the top 20 for ten years and touching the top 10 are spectacular numbers. In fact, I still remember coming with him to the Club de Tenis Valencia in 2006, he was sparring with Nico Almagro all week. Twenty years later, he's still here competing, showing up, performing, and demonstrating a special character. One can only feel happiness.

You have always been by his side, except for that year when your paths diverged. How did the reunion happen?

He calls me after Rome 2023 and tells me he wants me back on the team, to complement me with Dani Gimeno. He wanted me to bring those things that only he and I have experienced mutually.

It had been 17 months since your breakup. Did you hesitate?

There was nothing to hesitate about, it was an opportunity to get close again and be able to close the circle with him.

I remember interviewing you during that period apart, and I especially remember the headline: "I don't think I'll have this connection with another player again."

Nothing will be as special as this, it has been many years, since we were little. A very close and also very demanding relationship, he has been the player who has given me the opportunity to live a dream world, so completely grateful to him for having that confidence in me and enduring my intense coaching style of always being there and not letting go.

You have earned a reputation as an intense coach.

I know I'm relentless, but together we have evolved to reach the end.

What has surprised you the most about Roberto in all these years together?

If there is one thing I have to highlight above all, it is his ability to get up every day and fulfill his tasks.

Discipline.

That's it. He has been a person who, even in very tough moments, has managed to find the energy to isolate himself from the world and deliver, putting quality into every session and every training. That's phenomenal; the consistency he has shown since 2011 is very hard to come by.

Has he changed you as a person?

Completely, he has also shaped me in many aspects of my life. I have had to adapt to his style, understand his way of seeing things to get the most out of him. We seem like two crazy people who have been shaping each other, hence we have many similarities. When you are with a person for almost 16 years, day after day, in the end, many good things stick with you. Outside of tennis, our lifestyle is greatly influenced by what we have been in tennis.

In what sense?

Routines, health, regularity in habits... in that aspect, we are soldiers (laughter).

Everyone imagines Bautista as a coach, do you see him following your steps?

No, he will have nothing to do with me. Roberto has been a super class, he will develop his own style...

... but if he has to pick up tools from someone, they will be yours.

Let's see, I understand that some things may have stayed with him, but he has a vision of the game and an ability to anticipate situations at a tactical and emotional level that he will start using from the beginning. Depending on who his players are, he will have to adapt; this is the main function of a good coach, adapting to the player at hand [...] If there is something that I may have transmitted to him, it is that flexibility to adapt to him, understand him, always recognize the path to follow. This is a constant search until finding the best sensations in daily life.

Do you see him coaching a top 20 player or starting a project from the grassroots?

I see him with a top player, he is very prepared to help those at the top, without a doubt. Maybe he is more excited about a younger project? It could be, but I see him aiming at the detail, that differential detail that ends up tipping the balance in the elite. Roberto is very good at decision-making, he understands tennis perfectly.

If things go very well from now until the end of the year, does the door open to 2027?

The decision is clear, it's made. We must fight to leave feeling peaceful, we will try to finish the season well, but this shouldn't influence the decision. I believe it's a good moment to move on to a new stage, and I wouldn't like this to happen because tennis pushed him out. I want to reach the point where he can say: 'It's time, I've given what I had to give, I'm leaving as a tennis player'.

Where will we see you in 2027? Has the phone rung yet?

The phone hasn't rung yet, it's still early, we have important months ahead to be there with him, pushing and demanding to keep the bar high. We'll see where the opportunities lead us later on.

Sell yourself, Pepe. Perhaps your future player is reading this interview.

For those who consider me as a coach, understand the type of person and professional I am, no tricks, no deceit.

And what kind of person are you?

A close, committed person, someone who will give everything for the player to help them.

Do you see yourself training immediately or are you going to take some time?

I am open to listening to offers and seeing if what they propose truly excites me. I would love to find something that fulfills me, not only professionally but also in my daily life and interactions. I enjoy forming a strong connection with the player; that's my style—to be involved in a beautiful process that can have continuity over time.

Do you think it's easy to find what you're looking for?

[…] I don't know if it's easy or difficult, but you have to want it, of course. I like to commit myself, so if someone wants that, they should call and ask (laughs).

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, “El final es tan importante como el principio, hay que despedirse bien del tenis”