Javier Nalbandian talks about his little Brother - more on the Copa San Juan Minero

(La Nacion)

We've had quite a number of interviews with David in the past weeks and months. But now that David is training again he's apparently too busy to give interviews all the time. Which is, of course, a good thing. So here's something a little different, an interview with his eldest brother and first coach Javier. About David. From Diario de Cuyo. (Thanks, Tamar for pointing out both of these articles to me.)

Q: How is David, how's the recovery going?

Javier: Very good. He doesn't have any pain, he's three kilos away from his ideal weight. He never stopped working, as far as the typical limitations after such an operation would allow him.

Q: And the recovery is going ahead as planned?

Javier: Yes, the truth is that this break he has had to take, this time outside of the circuit, has made him more mature regarding those things that are not related to tennis. I can see that he's well, happy, eager, reconsidering his goals for the return.

Q: In what ways is he more mature and what objectives is he reconsidering?

Javier: More than anything else his way of approaching things. Being more mature and having been through all this, which isn't easy, means approaching things with a different philosophy. He's more relaxed now and this will help him with his return.

Q: So you can confirm that he'll return in San Juan?

Javier: Yes, he'll return here [in San Juan], in December.

Q: Tito Vázquez told Diario de Cuyo that your brother didn't become the No.1 because for him, tennis is a part of his life, it's not everything.

Javier: I know the way David is, I know him. And being #1 or #10 doesn't depend on seeing tennis one way or another. First, everyone has their goals, then you do an analysis with your coach and also with your conscience. But at the end of the day, it's the player who's on the court.

Q: But David has always been criticized for not spending much time training and in fact, there has also been a statement from you, criticizing your brother's environment.

Javier: Let's see... What got published on Infobae, my answers were misquoted and altered. And above all they criticized the way of training... It's all the same. As a matter of fact, those who say these things [about David training] are those who don't get to see it. If you're playing well it can hardly mean that you're not training. If these people had seen him work these last 18 years, the sacrifices he has had to make, the things he couldn't do, then they wouldn't say he doesn't like to work.

Q: Back to Vazquez, in the same interview he said that the atmosphere on the Argentine team was good [during the ties] against Slovakia and The Netherlands, exactly those ties where David wasn't there. What generates that view?

Javier: No, I will not engage in polemics. I'll just say that whenever it came to representing the country he gave it his everything. And he is the only one, or one of the few who can carry an entire team.

Q: They say that David and Del Potro don't get along, how do you see that relationship?

Javier: I only saw David and Juan together once, when they were playing Davis Cup, and they were fine. Both are good players, each wants the best for himself and for the team and maybe in the course of this struggle to defend the flag, other issues came up. But both have very clear goals and I don't see why they shouldn't be able to get along.

Q: Outside of training, what does David do in his spare time?

Javier: Ehh, I can only talk about things we did 18 years ago, because of the travelling we didn't get to spend much time together. We go fishing, spend time together, have barbecues, hang out with our friends. We have a good time.

Q: What will be David's focus in 2010?

Javier: His prime goal is to play again.

Q: Are you afraid he might not be able to recover his level?

Javier: I don't think so.

Q: So you're having some doubts?

Javier: That's a question he should answer. Until he starts playing again we won't know whether he'll get back to 100%.

Diario de Cuyo also has this new article about the Copa San Juan Minero and the man behind this tournament, David's former coach Martin Jaite, seen here with David during a training session.

"For me, it's a dream come true, being able to organize a tournament with these players. The people of San Juan will witness a unique spectacle," said Martin Jaite, former player and now businessman, who officially confirmed yesterday what he had announced exclusively on Diario de Cuyo on September 16: the realization of a tournament in San Juan with David Nalbandian, Gaston Gaudio, Guillermo Cañas and Nicolas Massu. It will take place on December 12 and 13 at the stadium Aldo Cantoni, a tennis event like there has never been one in San Juan before because of the level of the participating players. Apart from that, the tournament will see the return of David Nalbandian after his hip surgery, which will definitely be an extra attraction.

Jaite, a former Top 10 player and current director of the Buenos Aires ATP tournament (Copa Telmex), arrived yesterday in San Juan for the official announcement of the tournament together with the governor José Luis Gioja at a press conference. The event is called Copa San Juan Minero and will feature three matches. On Saturday, December 12, the four players will meet in the semifinals (the match-ups will be announced later). The final will be played on Sunday, December 13.

Although the schedule has not yet been confirmed, the idea is that on Saturday, play will begin at 6pm and that on Sunday, the final will start at 8 or 9pm.

The losers of the semifinal matches will offer a clinic for boys on Sunday morning at the St. John's Lawn Tennis Club.

Jaite has organized events like this for four players at Punta del Este [Uruguay] since 2005 , but this year marks the first time it will be played in Argentina. Prior to San Juan, there will be a presentation in Buenos Aires, though with different players (Cañas, Gaudio, Monaco, Acasuso).

"This is not just another tournament, it's a challenge for us because it's not easy to convince the players. But what made me really happy is that David (Nalbandian) chose the Copa San Juan Minero for his return to the court. It will be something very important and therefore, there will be a lot of attention from the national and international press. I believe the fact that San Juan is not too far away from Cordoba (where Nalbandian lives) has had a major impact on his decision. If it was farther away I'm convinced that David wouldn't come," Jaite said. Nalbandian, who visited San Juan in 2006 to see a rally race, is recovering from hip surgery he had to undergo in May.

Jaite also said that "David is a very popular figure but Gaudio has a special feeling with the people. At the same time, we cannot rule out that we may get to see the last few games of Cañas before his retirement. And Massu is a great tennis player, so I'm sure that these are four excellent players that will play this event."

That's the article. But on that page, there's also a bit of additional information in the sidebar. Crucial information and even more important than the article itself, as far as I'm concerned:

The Copa San Juan Minero matches will be televised live on TyC Sports.

Yay! :)