The director of the Rotterdam ATP named the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament, Richard Krajicek, leads the ATP World Tour event since 2004, but the latest pullout from big name Novak Djokovic frustrated him.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, the Wimbledon winner of 1996 explained the pleasures and mainly difficulties of being a tournament director, the current status and future of the event, the importance of sports for society, his social-political plans, his personal ambitions, veterans coming back and more.

Top player's pullout eclipsed the tournament, but Krajicek managed to secure title defender Robin Soderling, Andy Murray, the winner of 2009, David Ferrer, Toma Berdych and Jurgen Melzer as the top five seeds to Rotterdam.

Australian open newly crowned winner Novak Djokovic was also supposed to appear, but had to withdraw. "He had to pull out after a tough two weeks at the Australian Open," Krajicek said. "Of course I was a little bit disappointed about that. When he won the Australian open last Sunday I saw him go to his family to be congratulated and then he took off his shirt and threw it into the crowd.

"I saw the tape on his shoulder. At that moment I already thought that it could be bad news. He already had tape around his knee and I thought that might still be OK, not too serious. He experienced two long weeks, also emotionally. After the final I was hoping every day I would not get a call, but then on Friday he did phone me.

"It's nice he did not call straight away on Sunday. It proves at least he thought about it, he tried to get better or healthy. He waited for the last moment and I really like it that he called me personally to tell me. And of course it is not mandatory, but when someone does that it shows you take the responsibility. He felt bad about it."

The withdrawal of Djokovic shows the setbacks a tournament director can encounter. The spot in the ATP calendar has also been an issue for some time. "For years we were scheduled one week later, the week before Dubai," Krajicek explained.

"A lot of players like to play in Dubai too. They go there four or five days earlier because it's good weather over there. Now we are scheduled one week earlier, which is good. We only have a week in between with the Australian Open. It is hard to say, what's better, the Australian Open the week before or Dubai the week after. That is difficult," said Krajicek.

"Two years ago it was the first time we were only a week after the Australian Open. Nadal came after winning in Melbourne and he made it to the final here. We've had some good fields, but pullouts are just part of the game. We only had three pullouts this year. Of course there was some extra tension because Djokovic pulled out. I'm satisfied, for the last five years we had very few pullouts every year. Two years ago only one and in general two to four pullouts."

"We have high expectations of this year's tournament with five players from the top ten," Krajicek continued. "We can enjoy a renewed stadium this edition. It looks beautiful. I hope that the best players will be winning, so we can give the crowd good matches and have big names in the next round. I am looking forward to everyday."

Besides Soderling and Murray, former winners Michael Llodra, the winner of 2008, and Mikhail Youzhny, the winner of 2007, are also present in Rotterdam. "What I always really try to do is to get the winner of the year before. I want the title defender to come, because it's always nice to see someone defend his title. It gives something extra. When other former winners come back it means that they like the tournament and it fits well in their schedule. That's nice to know."

"The preparations for next year basically start right after the tournament, when I begin looking at the possibilities," the 39- year-old Dutchman adds. "But it really starts at the French Open. At that time I really have my first conversations and I hope to start getting the first commitments from players by Wimbledon and at the latest at the US Open. Sometimes you have to wait longer, as was the case with Djokovic and Murray. I did not get their commitments until November. Sometimes it does take a while, but in general around September you get the confirmation and I've been working for that two months prior. Some people like a contract on paper but normally it's confirmed per email. We talk on the phone, see each other at the US Open, talk about which week, what they want in return for the commitment, and then you put it in writing. This is our commitment to the player and in exchange we get a commitment that they are going to play, maybe some media things etc. And than you agree on email, in general we do it like that."

Krajicek is positive about the future of the ATP World Tour 500 event. "We have the 500 status for the third time this year and we will at least maintain it for two more years, that's part of the contract. At the end of this year lots of tournaments will be evaluated so we will have to wait and see. We are very happy with some very good fields at our 500. And very few pullouts, even though Djokovic is a very high profile pullout. The schedule is good and Djokovic did not know of course when he said yes to the tournament that he would win the Australian Open, have a little injury and maybe get an injury so he could not play. So in general that has been very good for us. You need money and sponsors. We just signed for three more years after this tournament with our sponsor ABN Amro. So that part is very secure for us and also the part from the ATP site to keep the status looks very good. At least for the next two years it is looking good."

WTA tournament For a possible combined ATP and WTA women's tournament in Rotterdam in the future Krajicek foresees some obstacles. "I would like that, it would be great, but there are a few problems or challenges I would rather say," he declared.

"A very simple one was that in a radius of 150 kilometers of a WTA event you are not allowed to organize a WTA event in the week prior during or after that event. It is not the case anymore, but until recently there was a tournament in Antwerp and it was the week after our event. We are less than 150 kilometers from Antwerp so we were never allowed to organize a WTA event. We could not organize it, but now that one challenge is gone. Apart from that this is a 500 event and if you look at the four Grand Slam's, the eight Masters Series 1000 events and than the 500 events, we are a top 15 event in the world. We are one of the top 500's. So you want a very good women's event too."

"The WTA licenses are very difficult to come by," Krajicek continues. "You have to somehow get a license to organize the event. The final challenge is how do you manage it with sponsors. Either ABN Amro would step in, but I don't know if they want that. If not we will have to find another sponsor. If that's the case every time there is a women's match you will have to take all the ABN Amro boarding away.

"I am not saying it is impossible because we have let sponsor boarding as well, but it's not that easy. At first there was a big problem with Antwerp, but not anymore since a few years. So maybe we can take a look. We have to see if licenses are available and if that's possible we are going to look how to do it with sponsors. A lot of steps to take, but I think it's great, if you look at the Grand Slams, Indian Wells, Key Biscayne, it's a very good mix to have the women and men together."

The director of the Rotterdam ATP named the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament, Richard Krajicek, leads the ATP World Tour event since 2004, but the latest pullout from big name Novak Djokovic frustrated him.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, the Wimbledon winner of 1996 explained the pleasures and mainly difficulties of being a tournament director, the current status and future of the event, the importance of sports for society, his social-political plans, his personal ambitions, veterans coming back and more.

Top player's pullout eclipsed the tournament, but Krajicek managed to secure title defender Robin Soderling, Andy Murray, the winner of 2009, David Ferrer, Toma Berdych and Jurgen Melzer as the top five seeds to Rotterdam.

Australian open newly crowned winner Novak Djokovic was also supposed to appear, but had to withdraw. "He had to pull out after a tough two weeks at the Australian Open," Krajicek said. "Of course I was a little bit disappointed about that. When he won the Australian open last Sunday I saw him go to his family to be congratulated and then he took off his shirt and threw it into the crowd.

"I saw the tape on his shoulder. At that moment I already thought that it could be bad news. He already had tape around his knee and I thought that might still be OK, not too serious. He experienced two long weeks, also emotionally. After the final I was hoping every day I would not get a call, but then on Friday he did phone me.

"It's nice he did not call straight away on Sunday. It proves at least he thought about it, he tried to get better or healthy. He waited for the last moment and I really like it that he called me personally to tell me. And of course it is not mandatory, but when someone does that it shows you take the responsibility. He felt bad about it."

The withdrawal of Djokovic shows the setbacks a tournament director can encounter. The spot in the ATP calendar has also been an issue for some time. "For years we were scheduled one week later, the week before Dubai," Krajicek explained.

"A lot of players like to play in Dubai too. They go there four or five days earlier because it's good weather over there. Now we are scheduled one week earlier, which is good. We only have a week in between with the Australian Open. It is hard to say, what's better, the Australian Open the week before or Dubai the week after. That is difficult," said Krajicek.

"Two years ago it was the first time we were only a week after the Australian Open. Nadal came after winning in Melbourne and he made it to the final here. We've had some good fields, but pullouts are just part of the game. We only had three pullouts this year. Of course there was some extra tension because Djokovic pulled out. I'm satisfied, for the last five years we had very few pullouts every year. Two years ago only one and in general two to four pullouts."

"We have high expectations of this year's tournament with five players from the top ten," Krajicek continued. "We can enjoy a renewed stadium this edition. It looks beautiful. I hope that the best players will be winning, so we can give the crowd good matches and have big names in the next round. I am looking forward to everyday."

Besides Soderling and Murray, former winners Michael Llodra, the winner of 2008, and Mikhail Youzhny, the winner of 2007, are also present in Rotterdam. "What I always really try to do is to get the winner of the year before. I want the title defender to come, because it's always nice to see someone defend his title. It gives something extra. When other former winners come back it means that they like the tournament and it fits well in their schedule. That's nice to know."

"The preparations for next year basically start right after the tournament, when I begin looking at the possibilities," the 39- year-old Dutchman adds. "But it really starts at the French Open. At that time I really have my first conversations and I hope to start getting the first commitments from players by Wimbledon and at the latest at the US Open. Sometimes you have to wait longer, as was the case with Djokovic and Murray. I did not get their commitments until November. Sometimes it does take a while, but in general around September you get the confirmation and I've been working for that two months prior. Some people like a contract on paper but normally it's confirmed per email. We talk on the phone, see each other at the US Open, talk about which week, what they want in return for the commitment, and then you put it in writing. This is our commitment to the player and in exchange we get a commitment that they are going to play, maybe some media things etc. And than you agree on email, in general we do it like that."

Krajicek is positive about the future of the ATP World Tour 500 event. "We have the 500 status for the third time this year and we will at least maintain it for two more years, that's part of the contract. At the end of this year lots of tournaments will be evaluated so we will have to wait and see. We are very happy with some very good fields at our 500. And very few pullouts, even though Djokovic is a very high profile pullout. The schedule is good and Djokovic did not know of course when he said yes to the tournament that he would win the Australian Open, have a little injury and maybe get an injury so he could not play. So in general that has been very good for us. You need money and sponsors. We just signed for three more years after this tournament with our sponsor ABN Amro. So that part is very secure for us and also the part from the ATP site to keep the status looks very good. At least for the next two years it is looking good."

WTA tournament For a possible combined ATP and WTA women's tournament in Rotterdam in the future Krajicek foresees some obstacles. "I would like that, it would be great, but there are a few problems or challenges I would rather say," he declared.

"A very simple one was that in a radius of 150 kilometers of a WTA event you are not allowed to organize a WTA event in the week prior during or after that event. It is not the case anymore, but until recently there was a tournament in Antwerp and it was the week after our event. We are less than 150 kilometers from Antwerp so we were never allowed to organize a WTA event. We could not organize it, but now that one challenge is gone. Apart from that this is a 500 event and if you look at the four Grand Slam's, the eight Masters Series 1000 events and than the 500 events, we are a top 15 event in the world. We are one of the top 500's. So you want a very good women's event too."

"The WTA licenses are very difficult to come by," Krajicek continues. "You have to somehow get a license to organize the event. The final challenge is how do you manage it with sponsors. Either ABN Amro would step in, but I don't know if they want that. If not we will have to find another sponsor. If that's the case every time there is a women's match you will have to take all the ABN Amro boarding away.

"I am not saying it is impossible because we have let sponsor boarding as well, but it's not that easy. At first there was a big problem with Antwerp, but not anymore since a few years. So maybe we can take a look. We have to see if licenses are available and if that's possible we are going to look how to do it with sponsors. A lot of steps to take, but I think it's great, if you look at the Grand Slams, Indian Wells, Key Biscayne, it's a very good mix to have the women and men together."