Interview with Larry Ellison, former CEO of Oracle, it's a 2 or 3 years old but sets out where they are looking to take Indian Wells.
Originally published on: Inside Tennis:
http://www.insidetennis.com/2014/03...w-inside-tennis-talks-with-the-wizard-of-wow/
INSIDE TENNIS: Hey Larry, what’s more of an achievement, your boat Oracle in last year’s America’s Cup scoring one of the most rousing comebacks in sports history, or this incredible stadium where we are sitting being built in less than a year?
LARRY ELLISON: I’m very proud of both, they’re hard to compare. I’m proud of the sailing team coming back after being down 8-1 and for this stadium being built in ten months. They’re both exceptional achievements.
IT: You’re a kid from the Bronx, how does it feel to see this incredible facility?
LE: I am actually from the Lower East Side of Manhattan. l lived in even worse neighborhoods than the Bronx. It’s a long way to come in one lifetime, but it has been very, very exciting, I have met lots and lots of very interesting people. That makes life worth living.
IT: You have such a passion, a love of sports. Not every businessman—
LE: I like the clarity of sports. In so much of life there are so many shades of gray, and the clarity of sports [is that] you either win or lose. On any given day, one team wins and one loses. One woman wins, one loses. One man wins, one loses. So it is wonderful and brutal to have that clarity and finality.
IT: This facility is so intimate, so beautiful, and has that creative design with the restaurants built in. Did you have any input?
LE: Yes, we wanted to build a stadium where everyone would have a good view, so we thought this was the right size. We wanted everyone to have an intimate feel, to be closer to the players, and at the same time have lunch or dinner at Nobu and enjoy a California roll while watching the tiebreaker.
IT: You were at Roland Garros last year. Over there, when the French Open wants to make a significant change, they have to go to the French municipality, while here, when Ray Moore or Steve Simon wants to make a change, they just come to you. Talk about that ability, that freedom of just being able to make decisions and being able to go for it.
LE: Ray and Charlie built this tournament, and they always wanted to build a new Stadium 2, and it was time to do it. We did two things, we built the Stadium 2, and we brought in 417 palm trees so the Indian Wells Tennis Garden is truly a garden.
IT: You have a wonderful home in the hills here in the desert, and a home in the San Francisco Bay Area, and you own a fabulous club in Malibu. Talk a little about the beauty of California and how you embrace that.
LE: California is a very big state, so out here in the desert is very different than being on the beach in Malibu. And I also have a home up in Tahoe which is different than my home in San Francisco, which overlooks the Bay. California is a spectacularly beautiful state and it has such different weather south, east, or west. It’s just wonderful to live here and to be able to enjoy all parts of California with all its natural beauty .
IT: If the tennis gods said, ‘Okay, Larry, you can watch one player, who would it be? You have seen Mac, Roger, you are close to Rafa.
LE: That’s an impossible question. Roger is so elegant, Rafa sometimes looks like a leopard out there with a racquet in his hand. You see the wonderful athleticism of Nadal, the grace of Federer, and McEnroe has his feel and touch. They all have so much. It is important to appreciate what each one of them brings and how each of them made the sport great.
IT: You can argue that no other sportsman is more humble than Rafa. What’s special about that young man?
LE: He is special. He is always trying to get better at what he does. He takes nothing for granted. He goes out there and fights hard for every point and appreciates what he has been able to accomplish in his young life. He deals so well with his responsibilities to the game and to the fans, It gives him a humility that made him enormously popular.
IT: You have that wonderful tennis club in Malibu where you chose to do a fundraiser with VIka Azarenka and Serena Williams which raised a million dollars. How does that touch your heart?
LE: Here we were able to raise money for four different foundations when we opened Stadium 2 the other night, just before the tournament began. McEnroe and Jim Courier were wonderful to commit their time. We had a fundraiser at Nikita restaurant in Malibu, again where we each had a chance to give back. It is really the players that are spending their time and committing themselves to giving back to the community. So I am proud to help whenever I can.
IT: Serena is a great California champion. Would you like to see her come back and play here in Indian Wells?
LE: Of course, but I respect whatever decision she makes. Its important that each individual makes the decision that is right for them. So, I respect whatever she and Venus decide to do. They have my utmost respect. They’re both great champions. I wish them both well.
IT: So, Larry, give us a word or phrase that captures your feeling for your incredible investment here?
LE: I am just proud to help finish what Ray and Charlie [Pasarell] began.
IT: Talk about Larry Ellison’s tennis game. I know you work hard with your coach Sandy Mayer, but what are your strengths and weaknesses?
LE: I played for the first time under the lights and I realized that you have to wear a hat, because I didn’t see a darn thing when I played against McEnroe. I love playing tennis. I play almost every day. It’s great for fitness. It is like anything else, every day you feel you are getting a little bit better, and it is important to all of us who like to compete.
IT: Do you think that tennis somehow helps you in business? Does it help give you a mental edge or does it help you take your mind off things for a bit?
LE: I love competition. I love competing in business, and I love competing in sports. Whether it is in sales or in tennis, basketball or in sailing. I like to test my limits. And I can test my limits in tennis, like anything else.
