the essential
As advanced in La Dépêche du Midi from May 7, the Stade Toulousain player will play the doubles at the Olympic Games (July 26-August 11) alongside Edouard Roger-Vasselin, with whom he has never played. The Toulouse native obviously dreamed of competing in the event with Sadio Doumbia, his usual stadium partner, but he will take a bit of his friend to the Olympic field.
How does it feel to know that we are going to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris?
I’m obviously very happy but my first thought goes to Sadio, since the objective was to go there together. For one of us to be selected, it remains an incredible accomplishment even though we have been fully involved in doubles for only three years. It is our project that is rewarded. Initially, we said to ourselves: “Paris 2024, and why not?” So I will also represent Sadio a little on the ground in Paris. He is delighted for me. He helped me a lot. He was a player and coach of our pair, at the same time, for a long time before Paul Cayre came to coach us. I am extremely grateful to Sadio. But with Edouard, we have a way of really doing something good and that’s very cool too.
What do the Olympics mean to you?
I watched them so much when I was little. Athletics, all that, I loved. I was a fan. I have always dreamed of representing France, in the Davis Cup and at the Olympics.
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Roland-Garros: double punishment for Fabien Reboul and Sadio Doumbia, eliminated by Théo Arribagé and deprived of the Olympics as a duo
How have you experienced the last few weeks with your back injury and the uncertainty surrounding the selection?
The back was complicated. I ended up with an unknown pain, which kept me from playing 100% for a month. At Roland-Garros, we had a draw that seemed made for us but I was too weak and it went badly (elimination in the 1st round). Behind it, I adapted a daily routine of maintenance and strengthening because the idea was to get back into shape. Now I feel really good (in the half today in Halle with Doumbia).
“At Wimbledon with Sadio, in Hamburg with Edouard”
When did the first exchanges with the FFT take place?
We talked quite a bit last week. Edouard called me, Ivan Ljubicic and Paul-Henri Mathieu too (federal executives) to already check on me, I sent them the results of my exams. They wanted to know if I was 100% before announcing the selection.
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INTERVIEW. Roland-Garros: “Sometimes the debates are underway”, Paul Cayre recounts his daily life as coach of Fabien Reboul and Sadio Doumbia
Roger-Vasselin had mentioned the idea of playing Wimbledon with his Olympic partner…
We talked about it but we agreed to play with our usual partner. He will therefore play with Santiago Gonzalez and I with Sadio. We never played together. Starting on a Grand Slam, on grass, without automation, it would not have been easy. We’re going to see each other a lot over the next few days, we’re going to share training, get to know each other. In tournaments, if we lose quickly at Wimbledon, we might make a Challenger just behind. We’re thinking of playing together in Hamburg, on clay, between Wimbledon and the Olympics. And we will continue with the preparation for the Games. That will give us three weeks together, that’s fine.
