At two and a half, Steve Darcis already amazed a football star …

The career of "Shark" is not quite finished, since it will play some more tests by January. And he will definitely put his racket on the side of Australia, far from the Belgian fans, far from his family.

Alain Darcis, Steve's dad, was at the Lotto Arena, for the belgian farewells of his son. He agreed to deliver some of his memories.

Interview…

Alain, what are your feelings now that everything is almost finished?

Since he made the decision to end his career in January, I feel a sense of satisfaction. Because, as he has said many times, he is at the end physically, and he is nervously at the end. He had a very good career, but a complicated career, with his injuries. And I saw that in recent months he could no longer defend his chances normally. So, I have a feeling of relief, but I also feel a great emotion, because it's probably the last time I saw him playing in competition. And after 25 years of intensive monitoring, it's true that it's a special day.

Since he announced his future retirement, do you feel relief from his side too?

Before the announcement, we had talked about it together, he had asked for my opinion. I think he made a good decision because playing in the current conditions was no longer possible. He can not train anymore because he is injured. So it was very hard physically, and it was mentally hard. When we have played very well in tennis, and we play less well, we lose games that we must not lose, and it is not livable anymore.

Did you give him his first racket?

Yes. There is an anecdote that I remember. I was a tennis teacher. When Steve was two and a half, he came to see me after class. I taught Alexandre Czerniatynski, the football player we know well, who is a friend. And Alex told me "I have never seen that in my life, a little kid of two and a half years who puts the ball like that". That day, I clicked, I thought "he's talented". As a teacher, I had never seen that. And besides, I never saw that again. And this is the moment when I thought that my son could very, very, well play tennis.

And he liked that right away?

Initially, it took a little push, because a kid, even at eleven or twelve, is not able to decide himself. I think we pushed him to play tennis. I trained him until I was 12 years old. I have never been a father who said "oh the moment he's having fun, that's good" No, I believed in him, so I pushed him. To go to tennis-studies, it was necessary to push it too. But as soon as he was twelve or thirteen, and he was able to make some decisions, he did everything on his own.

It is after his career that everyone will really realize what he did? Even you ?

I always realized it at the same time. His exploits, I lived them day by day. But I considered that the most important match was the match of the next day. I took a lot of pleasure in his victories, we celebrated, but it was always necessary to "put the cover", as they say. So I think today (and that's why I was talking about relief), we will be able to blow, him like me, and see beautiful pictures. And again, he made the most of what he could shoot with his wounds. And there is no regret. A new life opens to him.

People talk a lot about the Davis Cup, his win over Nadal at Wimbledon, his two winning tournaments. Maybe your best memory to you, it's different, and it's elsewhere …

My memory is anecdotal. All these victories have counted enormously, and it is true that it is not possible to choose one of these matches. But me, my best memory of him, is when I made a double gentlemen with him, in the region of Liege. He was seventeen, and he had just reached the semifinal of Wimbledon, in the juniors. And we won the tournament, when we played against two B-15.4, and I did not have the level. But thanks to him, we won the tournament. And it's something that marked us, because it was a victory "father and son".

What should make you proud is his record, but also the fact that he remained a good person …

What makes me proudest is that it has established itself in the professional circuit. He is appreciated by all the leaders of the ATP, but also by all the players, which is very important. The good ones, and the good ones. When I see him meet Federer or Nadal, they speak with great respect. And when Steve enters a locker room or in the player-lounge, I feel a respect from everyone. It's not easy to impose yourself in an environment like this. So his big wins is the icing on the cake. But my great satisfaction is that it has imposed itself humanely in an environment that is not always easy.

You do not worry for the rest of his life, he will find an activity? There he says he is waiting for proposals. He'll be happy, and he'll be fine?

Yes, and here it still shows all his humility, when I hear him say "I am waiting for the contacts". I know he's already asked. A dad always worries about his son's future. But I am serene. He has gone through so many trials that I think he is immune. And he will always come out with dignity and success.

He loves tennis, he loves tennis. Can we sometimes say of a player that he loves tennis too much, and that he sacrifices too many things to tennis?

Steve sacrificed a lot, like all professionals. We do not arrive at such a level without sacrifices. So yes, he sacrificed leisure, he sacrificed other sports. Steve loved tennis, a lot. But Steve does not eat tennis, does not sleep tennis. Steve will quickly adapt to other environments. And he will be able to enjoy life, by practicing golf, by practicing skiing. And by having a party, as he says. I think it will be reasonable, but I think it will really, really, enjoy life.