On the courts of Squash du Marais, where he launched his career, Baptiste Masotti is a bit at home. But at the end of the year, however, the Niortais hasn't really come there for a vacation, even if he intends to take advantage of his loved ones to recharge his batteries a little. “There, I train every day. I want to attack again fully in January, without needing a period to recover from what I did during the holidays”breathes Masotti, just out of a session with Rochelais Baptiste Bouin, university world champion last September and who came especially for the occasion.
Because at the end of this year 2024, feelings are rather mixed for Deux-Sévrien. “It wasn’t great in terms of results. It started very badly and then, afterwards, it was a long ordeal”concedes the person concerned, out of the top 20 and now 23e world player. “The ranking reflects the level of play and I was no better. In those moments, you had to work and bend over, even if falling doesn't feel good, especially when you're out of the top 20.”continues Masotti, stuck in a long spiral of negative results.
A promising end to the year
And these rapid eliminations also left some traces. “When you lose all the time, you also question yourself all the time. To play well, you also have to string matches together and when you lose, the rhythm is not easy to find again”analyzes the one who, since October, has managed to reverse the trend.
Beaten in the final of the Canadian Classic by the Mexican Leonel Cardenas in October, Masotti then went on to the Hong Kong Open, a Platinum tournament, then the team worlds, still in Hong Kong, from where he brought home the bronze medal. . “In the Platinum tournament, I lost 3-1 against Ali Farag, the world number 1, notably leading 8-5 for a possible fifth game”evokes the 29-year-old from Niort, who fell against Egypt, the dominant squash nation, during the semi-finals of the world championships. “It allowed me to finish well: between the medal and the level of play, it’s very positive for the future,” he smiled.
A busy start to the year
The rest, in fact, is rather clear: very quickly get back on the courts, to get the places he has just lost. “There, this time, I will have zero points to defend, unlike this year. And then, I can't really go any lower. So, you don’t have to ask any questions, just send”supports Masotti, who has also found pleasure in everyday life. “I regained my previous seriousness, but also the desire to train and the desire to find solutions in my game. Before, I was more in autopilot mode”concedes the one who has the 2028 Olympic Games, where squash will be present, in a small corner of his mind. “Obviously, you think about it. There is a little more pressure, and choices are also made in relation to that”he adds.
And to take off again, the start of 2025 will be very busy, with a departure on January 12 for a tour in the United States (New York, Pittsburgh, Detroit), then in Oceania (New Zealand, Australia). “I have fangs. I want to go back to where I was but above all where I need to be. I want to find a ranking that matches my level”he finishes. Just to get rid of this bad situation once and for all.
