Mark Philippoussis - ‘I JUST WANTTOMAKE MY SON PROUD'

The former tennis champion says his only priority now is his family

From the mid-’90s to early 2000s, Mark Philippoussis was a tennis legend. Dubbed “the Scud”, Mark tore through his opponents on the court and rose through the ranks as fast as one of his deadly serves, reaching world No. 8 in the rankings and winning the Davis Cup twice.

But as much as he thrived on the court, his love-life and flashy lifestyle – he once admitted to buying a new car every month – appeared to take priority, leading many to believe his true potential was never reached.

However, talking to Woman’s Day, the SAS Australia star, now 44, says he holds no regrets.

“Look, I was a kid. I worked very hard, it was my money and I spent my money,” Mark tells. “There’s nothing I regret at all. Looking back now, the perfect way to learn is through action, and I learned a lot.

“It was a huge growing time for me, my focus was to get on the court and playing above anything else. But now, it’s showed me as much as it is important to focus on that stuff, you need to focus on other things and be more open, particularly now as I’m a father and a husband,” he says.

NEW LIFE

Mark now lives in the quaint coastal suburb of Jan Juc in regional Victoria, with his wife of eight years Silvana Lovin, 35, and their two children, Nicholas, seven, and three-year-old Maia.