Paris, May 29 (DPA) Marat Safin, well-remembered for dropping his shorts during a French Open match several years ago, insists he's not a bad boy of tennis.
'Well, I don't know about bad boy,' said the soon-to-retire Russian after exiting at Roland Garros in the second round. 'I'm not a bad boy, but hopefully I can change.'
Safin will end his chequered and colourful career in November, walking away with his Grand Slam titles, the 2000 US Open and 2005 Australian Open.
The long-time playboy of the courts is determined to crank up his fun-loving lifestyle when he finally packs in his racket. 'Not a lot of tennis players have managed to have a great life afterwards with tennis.
'With all the respect, I want to try to be the guy who ends up doing something else and be good at it.'
Safin already sports a colourful history. He was famous for criticising food at Grand Slams to turning up at this year's Hopman Cup in Australia with a black eye, the result of a reported clash in a Moscow nightclub.
His company of females, who often support him from player boxes around the world, is also well known.
'So that's what I'm going to try,' Safin said of the coming change. 'It's not an easy one, especially getting yourself so many years into tennis to change something else is going to be a tough one. I'll take my chances.'.
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