Mark Philippoussis gained a reputation for liking the finer things in life during his wild years playing competitive tennis.
And the 44-year-old said he doesn’t regret a second of his wilder years during an interview with Woman’s Day magazine this week.
‘Look, I was a kid. I worked very hard, it was my money and I spent my money,’ Mark told the publication of his flashy off-court lifestyle.
‘No regrets’: SAS Australia’s Mark Philippoussis, 44, says he has ‘no regrets’ about his wild younger years, after admitting to living the high life during his career. Here with wife, Silvana. Melbourne, 2020
‘There’s nothing I regret at all. Looking back now, the perfect way to learn is through action, and I learned a lot,’ he added.
‘It was a huge growing time for me, my focus was to get on the court and playing above anything else.’
During the 1990s, Mark was nicknamed ‘The Scud’ due to his powerful serves, with him achieving world number eight. He also won the Davis Cup.
The interview comes after he spoke about losing his love for tennis on SAS Australia.
High life: ‘There’s nothing I regret at all. Looking back now, the perfect way to learn is through action, and I learned a lot,’ Mark said. Here: Sydney, 2003
‘I lost the love for tennis towards the end. I took things very personally that happened to me,’ he said during a recent episode.
‘I had my third knee surgery and was in a wheelchair for three months, and on crutches for a couple months. I was told I would never play tennis professionally again. That dove me.’
‘I came back and had my strongest year. I was in the finals at Wimbledon, eighth in the world and winning Davis Cup. [And I thought] how could I not have a clothing contract? My thought was ‘f**k you’.
‘My passion withered, I was battling an injury, and I just felt beaten up,’ he explained.
Anger: In a recent interrogation, Mark said he felt personally slighted when he was unable to score a lucrative clothing contract despite his success on the court
‘I knew what it would take, and I thought, do I want to go there again? And I didn’t. I didn’t want to go there again’.
The athlete went on to explain that he squandered his prize money by ordering-up whatever expensive item he desired.
‘I was able to get what I wanted, and when I did, I was bored in five minutes. I knew straight away that didn’t make me happy, that didn’t motivate me at all,’ he said.
Feelings: ‘My passion withered, I was battling an injury, and I just felt beaten up,’ he explained. ‘I knew what it would take, and I thought, do I want to go there again? And I didn’t. I didn’t want to go there again’. Pictured in 2003
Wasted: The athlete went on to explain that he squandered his prize money. ‘I would watch a new movie, like Bad Boys, and see they had the new Porsche Turbo, and I would call up my agent and say, “Get me the new Porsche Turbo”,’ he said. Pictured in 1996
‘I would watch a new movie, like Bad Boys, and see they had the new Porsche Turbo, and I would call up my agent and say, “Get me the new Porsche Turbo”.’
Mark went on to say that these days, he is motivated to be the best man he can be for his wife and children.
‘It’s simple, what I had as a tennis player was one chapter, this is anther one. I want to be a better husband, I want to be a better father,’ he confessed.
Family: Mark went on to say that these days, he is motivated to be the best man he can be for his wife and children. The tennis player has been married to Romanian-born model Silvana Lovin since 2013. They share daughter Maia Maria, two, and son Nicholas, six. All pictured
The tennis player has been married to Romanian-born model Silvana Lovin since 2013.
The couple share two children – daughter Maia Maria, two, and son Nicholas, six.
SAS Australia continues Monday at 7.30pm on Channel Seven
New lease: ‘It’s simple, what I had as a tennis player was one chapter, this is anther one. I want to be a better husband, I want to be a better father,’ he confessed