Tennis is an amazing sport - exciting, fast-moving, precise…Five minutes after you start playing you’ve forgotten about all your problems and can only think about the game.

Russia’s current success in the most famous international tennis tournaments is largely the work of Shamil Tarpischev. For many years now he’s been president of the Russian Tennis Federation and Russian team coach. He’s a very subtle and observant psychologist who adores his sportsmen. He knows and senses exactly how to prepare them for victory, how to support them and – on occasion - consol them. Tarpischev has devoted all his energy to developing tennis in our country and his brainchild – the Kremlin Cup – has become one of world’s most prestigious tennis tournaments.



Shamil Tarpischev is an exceptionally calm, dignified and profound person. Speaking to him you get a very clear sense of how important it is to have a something you’re prepared to devote your life to. It convinced me, for the hundredth time, that if somebody finds his vocation and puts all his knowledge, energy and love into it, his whole personality takes on a completely different dimension. Is this perhaps the secret of real success?

You can agree with me or argue with me when you watch “Steps towards Success” on REN TV at 1130 on Sunday 1 November. The programme will be repeated on 2 November at 0015 in the evening.