Varvara Gracheva was the last survivor of the French players in the women's draw, in Melbourne. The destiny of the 66th in the world did not smile much more on her than on the others, Thursday January 16, after her defeat in the second round against the German Eva Lys, lucky loser drafted from the qualifications which is ranked 128th in the world. Of the five French women entered in the final draw, only one made it to the second round of the Australian Open, none to the third. This is the second time since 1987 that no French player is in the third round in Melbourne, from account X (formerly Twitter) Game, set and math.
This poor record is only the reflection of a continuing shortage. On closer inspection, French women's Tennis is even at half mast. Over the last nineteen Grand Slam tournaments (the 2020 edition of Wimbledon was canceled due to Covid-19), the French women have reached the round of 16 ten times (Caroline Garcia and Alizé Cornet three times each, Fiona Ferro, Harmony Tan, Océane Dodin and Varvara Gracheva only once).
Since Marion Bartoli's title at Wimbledon in 2013, the last French woman to win a Grand Slam, the best performance by a French major remains the semi-final at the US Open in 2022 by Caroline Garcia, 67th in the world, and current number two French behind Diane Parry (66th). “When I played, there was Amélie Mauresmo, Mary Pierce, Nathalie Dechy and Nathalie Tauziat, so many players who were at the top level, with a real leaderanalyzes Tatiana Golovin, 12th in the world in 2008. Today, the balance sheet is saved a little by Caroline Garcia, but there is no didn't have enough players at the high level to show the way and motivate the young people.”
The year 2024 was even nightmarish: only Loïs Boisson (203rd) won a WTA title (at the Saint-Malo Open 35, in the WTA 125 category). A lack of results which is inevitably reflected in the world rankings. Behind Diane Parry, only two other Habs are in the top 100, Caroline Garcia (67th) and Varvara Gracheva (69th). To top it off, France failed to remain in the world group in mid-November, during the Billie Jean King Cup. “This result was predictable. Owe cannot demand anything other than what we see over the year”, notes Tatiana Golovin, quarter-finalist at the US Open in 2006.
This void is all the more noticeable as French players have shone more than men in Grand Slam tournaments: Amélie Mauresmo crowned at the Australian Open and the 2006 US Open, Mary Pierce at the 2006 Open. Australia 1995 and Roland-Garros 2000, and Marion Bartoli at Wimbledon in 2013. “Twenty years ago, the pool of players was quite large, with more than 10 girls in the top 100 in the world. Today, the breeding ground for French women's tennis is very poor, notes Loic Courteau, former coach of Amélie Mauresmo and the French Fed Cup team for 18 years.
With this small reservoir, it is difficult to create emulation. “The more girls we have, the more emulation we have, and pThe girls push each other to try to get in front of each other. It's a healthy and beneficial emulation”, continues Loic Courteau, who also held the position of performance manager within the French Tennis Federation (FFT). This dynamic is also visible among the men, with twelve players in the top 100, including four in the top 50. France is even the country most represented in the top 100.
Among women, emulation is no longer. “It's hard to explain, replies Diane Parry, questioned on this subject following her elimination in the first round on Sunday January 12. These are periods and sequences of circumstances”, believes the player. Caroline Garcia, who has just ceded her place as French number one, searched for her rhythm all year and stopped her season in September after expressing her mental exhaustion. Kristina Mladenovic, former top 10, has failed to recover since 2018 and is now ranked 210th in the world. “Among the youngest, with Diane Parry and Clara Burel, who were very strong in juniors, the transition to seniors is more difficult, analyzes former top 10 Nathalie Dechy, semi-finalist at the Australian Open in 2005. But“Besides them, even two or three years younger, there's no rush at the gate.”
However, Loic Courteau assures us: “We haven’t missed any talent in France.” This problem of density at the highest level finds its source in particular in tennis schools, where girls are less present in the clubs than boys. “There are fewer and fewer little girls who play tennis and who stay. Obviously then, there are fewer players who reach the high level and who obtain results,” observes Loic Courteau.
“There are several barriers to break down, such as the image of the competition or the lack of supervision.”
Justine Hénin, former world number oneat franceinfo: sport
Within the FFT, the problem has been identified. “We are trying to increase the pool at the base and the number of little girls who are detected to go and play in the first gatherings. We are careful that there is a certain number of them and that there is this emulation which develops from a very young age”, says Nathalie Dechy, also a member of the FFT, within the steering committee of the Roland-Garros tournament.
“The Federation has made an effort on training in recent years. But we won't see the effects for around ten years.” nuance Loic Courteau, who concedes the delay taken by France. Pauline Parmentier, coach of the Billie Jean King Cup and responsible for girls' associated projects within the FFT, did not respond to our requests.
Continuing, the president of the FFT, Gilles Moretton, recognized during a press conference on December 14, 2023 “fish a little” on the “path to high level” among the women, but also further upstream within the clubs. “IToday we are missing $15,000 or $20,000 ITF tournaments [tournois Futures]which are steps to progress [vers les grands tournois]. For the boys, we are missing three tournaments which we are in the process of filling, and for the girls, we are missing twelve.” noted the president of the FFT.
These problems are not the only ones. “Today, our young players do not have a sufficient international level to reach the highest level,” Loic Courteau slice. Yet they were bearers of hope, whether Clara Burel, Diane Parry or even Elsa Jacquemot, who all won the title of junior world champion (respectively in 2018, 2019 and 2020). “It was quite exceptional for the young category, but today they are slow to take the real step further to go much further,” observes Amélie Mauresmo’s former coach.
“Diane Parry and Clara Burel are players who are progressing well, but who are still very young in their careers, analyzes Justine Hénin, who however specifies that she does not know the private life of the players. A l’Currently, there are obstacles or difficulties in terms of the game for these players, whether on the serve or on a physical level, so that they can break through further.”
Nevertheless, Loic Courteau wants to be optimistic about the future of Diane Parry and Clara Burel, aged 22 and 23 respectively. “In France we have always had results a little later than in others. We often reveal ourselves with more maturity.” Of the last three Grand Slam winners, only Mary Pierce won her first title at age 20. Amélie Mauresmo and Marion Bartoli lifted their first Major at 27 and 29 years old.
