When asked whether he believes he is following in the footsteps of the famous Agassi, who was once knocked out of the top hundred tennis players, but then became the leader, Marat said he saw no point in following anyone's line.
"Each of us should find his/her own way and follow it, despite its ups and downs. One needs to make mistakes and gain experience," believes Safin.
As for the rough period of Marat's career, he sees it as some kind of a break that gave him time to understand "what regime and what schedule he should stick to."
"The media reports saying that I had health problems, and engaged in alcohol and even drug abuse, were of course unnerving, but they also made me stronger. The conclusion is that you should not pay attention to nonsense," the tennis player said.
When asked whether he found tennis and doping compatible, Marat said that, in his opinion, "tennis players do not need doping at all, as it does not improve one's skills but can only negatively affect their performance."
The Russian tennis star assigned the recent breakthrough of Russian female tennis players to Anna Kournikova.
"Yes, you may say that she did not win any tournament, but she was the one who gave the second wind to the female tennis," Safin believes.
As for the role money plays in his life, Marat said, "Serious money gives you freedom of choice and action. But money is not a priority for me now - what does it matter how much money I have? Besides, a man does not need much money anyway."
