Childhood and family of Evgeny Kafelnikov

Zhenya was born in Sochi. His dad is a famous volleyball player. He began to teach his son to sports with early childhood... The boy has been playing tennis since he was six. He changed several coaches, but each of them gave the athlete something useful for his future career.

For the first time in Moscow, an athlete was at the age of eleven. In those years, tennis was just beginning to develop, Zhenya's success grew at a tremendous pace. At first, the coaches did not notice that a talented boy seeks to learn something new, doing more with those athletes who have already proven themselves. In the European Championship, as a fourteen-year-old teenager, he took first place. This surprised his coaches, who, after this victory, finally paid attention to Kafelnikov.

In his native Sochi, he had practically no one to compete with. From time to time, he took part in tournaments that took place there, or played with party leaders who came to Sochi on vacation. Thanks to this, the young athlete learned to play on any surface. This was a good school. His career soon began.

The beginning of the tennis player Yevgeny Kafelnikov's career

A little time passed, and the tennis player won several awards and cups. It often happens that young athletes who are successful in adolescence, growing up, no longer show good results.

This “rule” did not work with Eugene. At twenty he was already a real professional, victories rained down on him one after another. Winning cup after cup, he became a master of sports. Zhenya became the eleventh racket of the world, and the national team of the country ended up in the Davis Cup final.

Evgeny Kafelnikov in tennis

In 1995, the tennis player was already in the Top 10 not only in singles, but also in doubles... At Roland Garros, he was the first Russian athlete to win in doubles and singles... It was 1996. In Sydney, at the Olympics, the tennis player won gold. Zhenya won the Kremlin Cup for five years in a row.

Kafelnikov on the cost of tennis

The Davis Cup has always been Kafelnikov's dream, and he still ended up in his hands in 2002. The Australian Open also succumbed to the athlete, where he won, becoming the champion. After that, Boris Yeltsin personally congratulated him. To wife, in the whole history Russian tennis, the first managed to get to the top position of the world championship.

The end of the career of Evgeny Kafelnikov

The athlete retired from tennis and is not going to return. Interestingly, the departure was not noticeable, since Zhenya did not do any loud statements... To the surprise of the fans, he simply did not participate in tournaments. Today he is engaged in various sports as well as commercial activities. He has achieved considerable results in golf. As a purposeful person, he is used to always achieving victories. Recently he became the first in golf in Russia. The athlete also realized himself in poker.

Personal life of Evgeny Kafelnikov

Eugene devoted himself entirely to sports, he had no time at all for his personal life. In 1997, while at a disco, he met a pretty girl. Her name was Maria. Very soon she began to travel with him around the world in the role of her beloved girl. In 1998, it turned out that she was pregnant, and Eugene got married.

They had Olesya, whom Eugene adored. His career was on the rise, the athlete did not have free time for his family. His wife had a daughter, whose father was singer Christian Rae. She was always at home alone with the children. Sometimes Maria and the girls went to where Eugene competed. The girl's character was not simple, Eugene, too, cannot be called an agreeable person. The relationship soon fell apart. Maria began to make rather large donations to the Canadian sect, which included the father of her first child, Christian Ray.

Evgeny, of course, was against this. Soon the family broke up, but Kafelnikov was able to sue himself the right to raise Olesya. Due to constant employment, the child almost did not see his father, the girl was with his parents. Nevertheless, Olesya is a very beloved child, an athlete does not like her soul.

It is known that shortly before the divorce, on the initiative of Maria, Eugene bought a large house in Switzerland and furnished it luxuriously. Immediately after that, his wife and children settled there. The couple had the hope that living away from each other would help them preserve the marriage, but this did not happen.

Interview with Evgeny Kafelnikov

The divorce proceedings took place in Russia. It is surprising that Eugene managed to sue for the right to raise his daughter. It is known that Maria can see her daughter only with the permission of her father.

When Olesya went to first grade, her mother came to see her off. Both parents could be seen on the ruler. Together they decided to send their daughter to an elite school, where children of stars and businessmen study.

It is known that Maria worked on the M1 TV channel for some time. She is still a member of the sect today.

Evgeny Kafelnikov today

It is known that an athlete in Adler organized a tennis section, for which he bought five hundred rackets. He became a sponsor of young athletes. For the hospital of his native Sochi, Evgeny purchased modern medical equipment. With this and other good deeds, the tennis player won the fame of a patron and a caring person.

You came to Yekaterinburg to participate in an amateur tournament for VIPs, let's say, which is called the Big Hat. However, you still won't play.

- No, I'm as a guest.

Do you at least take a racket in your hands from time to time, although we know that your career ended in 2003, that is, almost eight years ago, or is it all abandoned and forgotten?

- No, Maxim, to my happiness, I returned to the idea that tennis is my whole conscious life, without which I can't go anywhere, and so, for the last 3-4 years I have been actively participating in the veteran tour, then I am very friendly with the racket.

There, from 35 years old, in my opinion, tennis players are allowed to veteran competitions, as soon as you turn, you started playing.

- Yes, almost two years. There is also such a veteran tournament, called the Tour of Champions, in which you can participate after two years after you have finished your professional career. I also take part in this tournament and quite successfully.

Is it just for the soul, to keep in shape, or maybe it is some kind of earnings, including?

- It's all together, but most importantly, I was lucky to have many fans around the world, and when I finished, many people missed my talent, they wanted to see him on the court again, that is, it was one of the moments thanks to which they again they can see me on the court and I take part with pleasure.

Best of the day

Well, well, about adaptation, about tennis, so to speak, to a peaceful life, we will talk a little later, which means that you take the racket in your hands from time to time. Did you come here right after Wimbledon? You were in London just a few days ago.

- Yes, I was lucky enough to attend the Wimbledon finals, on Monday I returned.

But you played there too. And last year you played in the final of the Wimbledon tournament.

- This year, unfortunately, we were not lucky enough to participate in the final, but, as always, I received a lot of pleasure.

In June, I was very surprised when I saw a message on the news feed that Evgeny Kafelnikov became the champion of Russia, but not in tennis, but in golf. I knew you were golfing, but I was pretty sure it was actually an amateur level, nothing more. So what is wrong, is golf serious?

- Maxim, in fact, golf has been my passion since an early age.

Even when you weren't playing tennis?

- I took the club for the first time when I was 20 years old. That is, I combined my main job with a hobby. And I started to be active and set some goals in this sport three years ago. I really understood that I have a desire and I can achieve something. And now, three years later, the fruits of that work are making themselves felt. I will try, hope to reach a certain level. When I realize that my ceiling has been reached, I will stop, and now I will study and improve.

There are rumors, I don’t know if it’s rumors or not, that you are going to, in any case, set a task, to go to the Olympics as part of the Russian national team in 2016 and golf will be presented there for the first time.

- In fact, a fairly long period - 5 years, but I repeat once again that almost everything is own free time I am taking to the golf course.

Golf is boring compared to tennis! The intensity is not the same, absolutely. Well, he hit it and went, not in a hurry, or went for the ball in an electric car.

- You will be surprised how much drive I get from playing golf. A dynamic, pretty sport. Although many people think that this is monotonous walking: if you hit, you go. In fact, the pleasure is very, very, very great. I, of course, cannot convey in a nutshell, briefly.

Well, for Russia it is exotic, nevertheless. Still, the climate is not the same, the costs are too high for the establishment of a golf club.

- The most a big problem in our country with golf, these are climatic conditions, of course, in Moscow there are six months of the whole season. I think that it is necessary to arrange golf courses, golf clubs in the region where the season can last twelve months.

And this is the south.

- Yes, this is the south for us, Sochi.

Your hometown- Sochi.

- Yes, as far as I know, in Sochi, in the Krasnaya Polyana area, they are going to build a golf club for the Olympics.

There is also poker or not? After the end of your career, there was information that you were in the game of cards, and so, in a serious way.

- Well, there was a time when I was carried away pretty tightly. It was 2004-2005. And I even had such a desire to get to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Now, as soon as I fulfilled this desire, I realized that it was a waste of time. What I wanted - I have achieved, since then poker has left me.

In general, Evgeny Kafelnikov cannot but compete after the end of his career: cards, golf, table hockey would have been the result.

- The most important thing is to have some kind of dynamics, I certainly cannot sit still.

Do you still have time to do something? On the Internet it is written that you are driving an airplane, fishing.

- Fishing has been my hobby almost since childhood. I, being born in the south, near the Black Sea, often went fishing. I try to walk whenever possible and now.

Evgeny, where do you live now, in Russia or abroad? I think, given your popularity, you could settle anywhere in the world, absolutely no problem.

- Yes, of course, but it gives me comfort to communicate with compatriots. I live in Moscow, I spend all my time there, my daughter, accordingly, goes to school, there are no thoughts that I need to go somewhere abroad, abroad.

And Sochi, hometown, which is now changing and developing at an unprecedented pace.

- Here, the only thing, I had to leave, we communicate with our parents every day.

And your parents are there?

I wanted to ask you: Russia, this tennis country or what happened under Yeltsin and, let's say, what was laid down under Yeltsin, who loved tennis, and, in general, I think those who said that tennis developed thanks to him personally are right, maybe this is what was there an anomaly? Such thoughts are suggested by the performances of our tennis players, who in recent times happen. A certain crisis has emerged, especially in men's tennis, in women's tennis, too, not to say that everything is wonderful. Your generation is gradually descending and there is nothing behind it.

- Maxim, you are absolutely correct in your observation that Boris Nikolayevich played a huge role in the development and popularization of tennis in our country. Who, if not him, being interested in this, forced politicians and businessmen to take part in this, indirectly help tennis. Tennis in the early nineties, at the end of 2000, when Boris Nikolaevich was no longer president, but still we all knew that he ...

… Asks when there was a Davis Cup match, he always sat there.

- Our communication was very close, and we knew that there was a person who put his health into the development of tennis. As for tennis now, in general, I think you are right ...

They constantly say: there is not enough money for this, the other, the third.

- Of course, in comparison with another sport, for example, football, the budget of the Tennis Federation is very small, we would very much like the state support. Without the support of the state, it will be difficult for us to raise new Safins, new Dementievs - Olympic champions because tennis is really a very deep sport, with a huge TV audience.

But this is a very prestigious history, it is prestigious to win for the country in which you are performing, too.

- Undoubtedly.

But is it correct to say that if you need to achieve something in tennis, you need to leave Russia, well, over time, at least, there are people who, while staying with us, achieved something. You haven't lived anywhere abroad for a long time. Dementieva, too, and the same Safin, this, excuse me, is Spain, Sharapova is the USA.

- Well, you know, traveling to the regions, especially recently, I see how the infrastructure for tennis is developing. So I was, for example, in October in Novy Urengoy - such, it would seem, a city, but a gorgeous club was built there where children can ...

Hopefully, there are indoor courts in winter too?

- Yes Yes. And today I will definitely see what is here in Yekaterinburg. I think we need to see what is happening in the regions. Champions can be grown anywhere.

This means that one way, when parents invest, take away somewhere - it works, and there is a second way too.

- Oh sure.

Do you introduce your daughter to tennis?

- Unfortunately, she has no interest in tennis.

“Unfortunately,” he said, sorry.

- Her father tried to teach her, but now she gets more drive from the equestrian sport. As I am in golf, so she is in equestrian sports.

Do you feel nostalgia for your career?

- In fact, I was ready mentally and psychologically to finish. This nomadic life at some point got very sick. But, of course, there were moments when I came to the tournament, and nostalgia began - to plunge into this atmosphere again.

Well, apparently, poker and golf are there to balance these things.

- Not so much poker as golf. Golf now gives me such a feeling.

And now you are doing something, so to speak, for the sake of profit? I don’t believe that it’s not, because the prizes that you won should simply be placed somewhere.

- Of course, they should be located somewhere. They are located in Russia, I have partners, to be honest, I am not in distress.

Well, thank God it's great. Tell me, Evgeny, do you feel somehow special? You are the first among ours, you won " Grand slam”, Davis Cup, became the first racket of the world, before you no one succeeded, everyone dreamed, but no one could.

- Maxim, I will say even more, more than that. 10 days ago there was a committee that makes decisions about who to enter the hall of fame ...

Kafelnikov will be introduced in 2012, if I'm not mistaken?

- Yes, imagine, this is the greatest honor, I will be introduced in 2012, the only Russian at the moment. To be honest, I did not expect that it would turn out that way, they choose according to many criteria: according to merit in tennis, in communication with journalists, since they choose this. I was very impressed by the fact that of all the 16 members of the commission, all of them unanimously said “yes” when I was elected.

That is, special, but there is no starry?

- No, absolutely.

Not in pathos of himself, we have many of this characteristic.

- I understand that when I am an athlete - this is one life, now I am an ordinary ordinary citizen. Of course, many will know when I walk around the city so calmly. I absolutely treat everyone on the same level.

It's good. In what direction is tennis developing today? This question, including, and as a commentator on NTV-plus. It seems that it is faster, more powerful, it is simply not possible to play, where is this limit?

- I think that, of course, parallels with the last decade can be drawn. Possibilities human body have not yet been studied. Nowadays they run a hundred-meter race for 9.5, and ten years ago, when they ran 15, it was impossible to imagine.

It's the same in tennis: they serve faster. Of course, I associate this with new technologies: rackets, balls.

It seems to me that the people who are leading now are versatile tennis players. Who is the best today?

- We have a new Djokovic.

Is it for a long time or is it some kind of splash?

- I think, yes, for a long time.

Are you interested in your attitude to politics at all? There is information that Marat Safin will be included in the list of one of the parties.

- They are very interested. Yes, I heard - some kind of Muslim party.

Well, that doesn't sound like authenticity, apparently. And if you were offered?

- Well, if I was offered, I would first of all think over all the pros and cons. If I was sympathetic to the strategy, I would certainly be involved. I am not indifferent to the fate of Russia, I dream for everyone to live in abundance, for the regions to live happily, the fate of my compatriots is important to me.

The name of Evgeny Kafelnikov thundered not only on Russian courts, but also on foreign sports grounds since he became the title holder of the First Racket of the World and has repeatedly been the winner of all kinds of tennis tournaments. Sports biography Evgeny Kafelnikov built thanks to his perseverance and undoubted talent, because he began to win at the age of 14 and since then his career has steadily gone up. Having received good practice in his youth and constantly honing his skills in training, Evgeny Kafelnikov became a tennis player, for whom the court surface does not play a big role. In total, the athlete's biography is more than 40 high-profile victories, but in the passive - not quite arranged personal life of Evgeny Kafelnikov... This is explained by the fact that the athlete always devoted all his time and all his strength to sports. Perhaps this was one of the reasons that in a relationship with wife of Evgeny Kafelnikov Maria Tishkova they went through a high-profile divorce.

The tennis court star was married only once in his life. WITH future wife he met at one of the discos in 1997. The beauty of Mary captivated the heart of Yevgeny Kafelnikov and soon the couple could be seen everywhere together. The news that the girl was expecting a child forced the tennis player to hurry up with the wedding, which took place in 1998. Maria Tishkova has another daughter, Diana, from a short romance with singer Christian Ray. The joint daughter of Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Maria Tishkova was named Alesya. It would seem that everything is going as well as possible - a successful career, a beautiful wife and two little daughters, whom the parents loved and pampered. However, the frequent departures of Evgeny Kafelnikov, as well as the very difficult nature of both spouses, soon affected their relationship. The last straw, allegedly, was that Maria Tishkova joined the Canadian sect and made substantial monetary donations, which, of course, her husband opposed.

In 2001, when little Alesa was not yet and three years, the parents still broke up. A high-profile divorce process followed with litigation, as a result of which the daughter remained to live with her father. For the most part, of course, she lived with her grandparents, since dad was constantly busy with his career. Nevertheless, a close and trusting relationship was established between them. Evgeny Kafelnikov did not interfere with communication ex-wife with Alesya and many questions concerning the future of the girl, they decided together. Of course, the athlete had affairs after breaking up with his wife, but none of them resulted in anything serious. Now the daughter of Yevgeny Kafelnikov is already an adult girl who makes independent steps in the modeling business.

Reunited family: Evgeny Kafelnikov, Maria Tishkova and their daughter Alesya

And recently there was an explanation why the tennis player never got married after a divorce. It turns out that all this time he continued to love Maria Tishkova. Apparently, Evgeny Kafelnikov will soon surprise everyone with a new marriage to ... his first wife. This is where everything goes. At the beginning of this year, a message flew from the lips of their daughter Alesya that dad and mom are together again. Maria Tishkova and Evgeny Kafelnikov already live in the same house and appear together in public. Alesya is immensely happy with this turn of events. Unfortunately, nothing is known about the fate of Diana, the eldest adopted daughter of the athlete.

Few people know that the ex-wife of Yevgeny Kafelnikov, model Maria Tishkova, has two daughters, Diana and Alesya. Many remember the huge scandal that erupted in 2001, when Kafelnikov and Tishkova divorced and Eugene demanded that Alesya live with him. In the toga, the court gave Alesya to his father. There was no talk about Diana then (she is not the tennis player's own daughter), however, in all interviews, Eugene claimed that very attached to the older girl.

ON THIS TOPIC

Meanwhile, Diana was born from a short romance between Maria Tishkova and the once popular performer Christian Ray. The artist became famous in the early 90s, his most famous song in a duet with Kristina Orbakaite "Circle of the Moon, a sign of love". He also noted himself as a successful producer. It was Christian Ray who took part in the recruitment and creation of the "Brilliant" group, having co-authored with Andrey the Terrible the first hit "There, Only There" and a duet with Olga Orlova "Sound of Rain". However, in 1998, Christian Ray met in Los Angeles an American Deborah Smith, who had worked in the entertainment industry for many years. They soon got married and had two daughters. Christian Ray now lives in the United States. Whether he maintains a relationship with his firstborn, Diana, is unknown.

But Kafelnikov himself did not hide the fact that not only he was very attached to the girl, who should already be 20 years old this year, but also his parents. “They are very fond of not only our common daughter, but also Diana, who was brought up from a very young age. My parents love both girls in exactly the same way. Both of my daughters are wonderful, smart, developed girls.", - said in an interview Kafelnikov, when the divorce from Tishkova was in full swing.

However, if the youngest daughter of tennis player Alesya is now incredibly popular in the media, publishing provocative photos on social networks, giving interviews and participating in fashion shows, then nothing has been heard about Diana. Meanwhile, it became known that Kafelnikov and Tishkova reunite... Their daughter Alesya told about this. "Dad said that he loves my mom, and they started all over again. They started dating and build relationships again. I was very happy about that. Now mom lives with us. To be honest, we are showing pictures with dad where we are looking for a wife for him. , especially so that mom is jealous. We are angry with mom, and she comes and shouts: what is this all about? Mom is not funny, but dad and I are funny. Dad is happy every time when mom is jealous. Sits and smiles, and then says, that if mom is jealous, it means that she loves him for sure, "Super quotes Alesya Kafelnikova.