"Mighty-mite."

Interview, Sept, 1996 by Andrew Essex

People who love to root for the underdog got their fill at this year's Wimbledon tournament when unseeded American MaliVai Washington beat out the big names on the tennis circuit and came within one match of bringing home the big trophy. In the end, he didn't win, but his dramatic performance and his stunning grace under pressure earned him a sentimental victory. The spotlight will be on Washington again this month at the U.S. Open - win or lose, it's his competitive edge and playful spirit that make him an athlete with a capital A.

ANDREW ESSEX: Have you been playing tennis since you were in diapers?

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: My dad started tossing balls at me when I was five. He used to play a little tennis with his buddies, and I'd just run around - it was sort of like baby-sitting. But then a few years passed, and one day I woke up and realized, hey, I'm pretty good at this. I really started loving tennis after I began to compete.

AE: That sort of "accelerated" childhood has come under a lot of criticism lately.

MW: I never felt like I was thrust into anything. When a father plays catch with his kid, is that wrong? Obviously, if it gets to the point where the kid hates the sport, and the parent continues to push, well, then you're in for trouble. But if the kid develops a love for the game, that's the best of both worlds. I remember my first picture in a newspaper. I was ten. They called me "mighty-mite." I thought that was about the biggest thing in the world. If that doesn't do wonders for a kid's self-esteem, I don't know what will.

AE: How are you adjusting to celebrity?

MW: I don't feel any different than I did before Wimbledon. It's great doing all the media.

AE: The New York Times recently called you a "perennial underachiever." That sounds pretty insulting to me.

MW: I guess you could say that anyone who doesn't win it all could be called an underachiever. But is the number-two player an underachiever? By whose standards? I take a statement like that and think, Hmmm, that's interesting. Then I'll hear something like, "Mal Washington may someday be the best player in the world." And I'll say, "Hey, that's interesting, too." You've got to have a level head.

AE: Writer Martin Amis once complained that contemporary tennis lacked personality because there were no longer any characters like John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors to bring a nasty, almost infantile streak to the sport.

MW: Personally, I think that kind of behavior is un-called for. It looks bad for the game and it looks especially bad for the players. I play my best tennis when I'm focused and under control.

AE: Ever smash a racket?

MW: In a match'? No. In a practice - well, that's a little different. For me, that's where I get out my frustrations.

AE: It must be particularly exhausting when a match goes the full five sets, especially when it's hot, as it so often is at the U.S. Open. How do you endure that kind of physical punishment?

MW: You deal with it. I live in Florida, and if you can train and live there, you can play anywhere. You go through about five shirts. You change your sneakers 'cause they're soaked. But you take comfort in the knowledge that the other guy is going through the same thing.

AE: You've been cited as being unusually gracious in defeat, even on occasion inviting reporters to your hotel for coffee and croissants.

MW: I've always been one to give credit where it's due. If a guy simply beats me, I'll tell him, "Well done. you deserve it." If I don't think he deserves it, then it's a different story.

AE: That prize money must soothe a few wounds.

MW: No. That doesn't make up for losing.

AE: Who's the toughest player you've ever faced?

MW: Sampras. I beat Pete in an exhibition [this past June], but I've never beaten him in a tournament - though I did beat him when we were in the fourteen-and-under games. He just gives me a tough time. One of these days, I'm gonna take him.

AE: It seems to me that women's tennis is a lot less volatile these days. Steffi Graf dominates the field and hardly anyone else ever wins a tournament. Why?

MW: Because Steffi is the best. She's a great athlete, and no one has reached her level. At some point, someone will come along and overtake her. Before all that happened to Monica [Seles, who was stabbed in the back by a crazed Graf fan], she was beating Steffi a fair amount, and that was a great rivalry.

AE: How would you fare against Steffi Graf at the top of her form?

MW: The two games are just totally different. A good comparison is the difference between men's and women's basketball. It's a speed thing and it's a power thing. Not to take away from the quality of women's tennis, but the guy is going to come out on top.

AE: Why do you think everyone is making such a big deal that you're an African-American?

MW: To be successful at any sport you have to start at a young age. Most young black kids are not going to pick up a tennis racket. Chances are they're not going to pick up a golf club either. I'm sure there are some blacks who don't think they should play tennis because they consider it a "white" sport. If a black kid is actively looking for a black tennis player to emulate, he's certainly not going to find them in mass quantities.