For forty years, the French public at Roland-Garros has been waiting to see one of their own triumph again on the clay courts of the Porte d’Auteuil. At the start of each tournament the same question comes up: if this time it was the right one? Then, undeniably, at the time when it ends, the same observation is essential: among the men, since Yannick Noah’s victory in 1983, only Henri Leconte has managed to reach the final, five years later – he was beaten by Sweden’s Mats Wilander (7-5, 6-2, 6-1).
Very daring, the one who had bet on the fortnight of 2023 to break this spiral. None of the nineteen Frenchmen involved in the men’s draw was seeded – the 32 best-ranked players – and, from the first rounds, they had to battle against the world‘s gratin. “There is nothing that can reassure us, none have a significant victory over a member of the Top 10”, summarized Guy Forget, consultant for Prime Video, before the tournament. Thursday 1is June, at the end of the second round and after the defeat of Arthur Rinderknech (78ᵉ) against Taylor Fritz (seeded n°9), none of them appeared in the singles table.
But the future is not as bleak as it seems. Remember: in 2021, there were indeed Tricolores on Parisian clay the last weekend of the tournament in the table… junior, with a quartet in the semi-finals. Two years later, the winner, Luca Van Assche, succeeded in his first ranges “with the big boys”, at only 19 years old, dominating the Italian Marco Cecchinato (72e and former 2018 Roland-Garros semi-finalist) 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 in the first round. His first success in a Grand Slam tournament.
The current 82e world is not the only French hopeful who has been invited to the Top 100. Freshly victorious from his first tournament on the ATP circuit in Lyon after reaching the semi-finals in Montpellier and Marseille at the start of the year , Arthur Fils points to the 63e place. The other gondola head of the “2004 generation” did not experience the same success on the ocher of the Porte d’Auteuil, beaten by the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 34e global. But he showed a good resistance (defeat in four sets).
“They are two totally different players, but they both have a lot of talent and there is a lot of work behind their results.explains Fabrice Santoro, consultant for Prime Video. They can aim high. » Camille Pin even predicts their entry into the Top 50 ” fast enough “. The ex-player, also recruited by the chain for the fortnight, saw them at work in early May at the Challenger – the secondary tennis circuit – in Aix-en-Provence. She was impressed by their physical qualities and the maturity of their game. “It’s very calm, very settled. They climbed fast [au classement] after the juniors, it’s a good sign. »
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