260e world player this week and author of a new indigestible performance unworthy of his talent in the first round of the Rennes Challenger last week (beaten 6–0, 6–1 in 37 minutes), Benoît Paire is in the process of ruining the end of his career.
That’s the view of former professional basketball player and tennis enthusiast Stephen Brun, now a consultant for RMC Sports.
“The end of Benoît Paire’s career is a bit pathetic. He’s a player I liked, I appreciated his freshness, his excesses. I liked the character, especially when there were good results and good sporting performances. We could tolerate his excesses on the court because he played good tennis. He was 18e world, he had one of the best two-handed backhands on the circuit, he had a magnificent touch and hand. That he is not in the same mold as the others, that he is a bit marginal, there is no problem about that, but there, he finishes in the worst possible way. He no longer makes anyone laugh, he takes people for idiots (…). I find it very ugly the way he is going to leave this sport and that the only memories we will have of him are not even his exploits and his brilliance (three times second week in Grand Slam, a semi-final of Masters 1000, three titles), it is his escapades and his meltdowns, and I find that a shame.
Published on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 5:40 p.m.
