The French tennis player, Benoît Paire, celebrated the end of his season on social networks as the happiest day of his year. Plagued by injuries and mental difficulties, the 35-year-old has tumbled down the ATP rankings. But he already imagines bouncing back next year.
Benoît Paire is officially on vacation. The French tennis player, who fell below 300th place in the world at the end of “the hardest season” of his career, celebrated on Twitter “the most beautiful day of (his) year” this Tuesday morning.
Benoît Paire played one of the last matches of the year in Seoul, rewarding us with one last legendary tantrum against Taro Daniel before putting his rackets in the bag this Tuesday after his defeat in the 1st round of the Challenger from Matsuyama (Japan) against James McCabe (6-7, 6-4, 6-4). On September 11, in Rennes, he had already offered a distressing spectacle on the court, even though he was clearly in no condition to play.
“I’ll get there.”
Injured in the wrist, Paire still insisted on taking the court against the British Jacob Fearnley. Result of the races: a meeting completed in 37 minutes and an exit to boos after being humiliated.
While he started the year ranked 117th in the ATP rankings, Benoît Paire fell to 304th place in the world, his ranking this week. The Frenchman took stock of this cataclysmic year on Instagram: “A lot of injuries, doubts about my physique, about my mental capacity to continue without being 100% every day,” he admitted.
The Frenchman admits to having asked himself “a lot of questions” but he seems to have found some of the answers in Asia. “When, physically, I am well, I am still capable of doing great things and even if I did not have very good results, I felt that in 3 weeks I had progressed enormously. I started enjoying training again and trying again on a court. So, it's going to take time to come back, but I'm going to do it. Thank you to all the people who support me and who are with me in these difficult times. for you and for me I will make it happen.”
In great mental pain in recent years, Benoît Paire never really recovered from the Covid period, delivering performances unworthy of a professional player despite undeniable talent. His last title on the ATP circuit dates back to 2019. He has not played a final on the main circuit since the Auckland tournament in 2019. Benoît Paire has not achieved any significant result on the Challenger circuit in 2024, collecting the defeats in the first round.
His last victory on the main circuit dates back to January, in Montpellier, where he reached the final in 2013. Before this success against Andy Murray, we already had to go back to the Washington tournament in 2022 to find traces of a victory on the main circuit. But Benoît Paire says he is convinced of being able to shine on the circuit again, at 35 years old. Appointment is made for 2025: “Sorry for the angry people, the jealous people, the punters, you will still send me insulting messages, death threats for a year.” Benoît Paire remains Benoît Paire.
