At the end of itself. Despite two sets behind against Miomir Kecmanovic and some cramps, Arthur Rinderknech won on Monday, at the age of 26, his very first Grand Slam match (6-7 [10], 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4). “
From the third set, I feel that I have the thing in hand but I have cramps all over,
he declared in a press conference
, I am doing, I do not know how. The victory at the end of the day is incredible, I don't know if I still realize it, especially with the way it went. It's clearly for times like that that I play tennis
. " The 83rd in the world erased the disappointment of Wimbledon where he had a match point but lost in the first round against Oscar Otte (4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 13-12 (2) in 3h57.
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The blue revelation faces this Monday the great hope of world tennis Carlos Alcaraz.
A trick not easy but not unplayable, either.
Still unknown to the general public, Arthur Rinderknech, is one of the rare French satisfactions in this dreary year 2021. Beneficiary of a wild-card at Roland-Garros thanks to his linear progression in the ATP ranking (from 1,000th to 164th place since his professional debut in 2018), the current second French in the Race (53rd) has signed this season four quarter-finals in ATP 250 tournaments (in Lyon, Marseille Bastad and Gstaad) and even a half -final in Kitzbühel.
He offered himself some good performances, notably dropping Jannick Sinner in Lyon or Roberto Bautista Agut in Gstaad.
Four years of training at a university in Texas
Before last March, the native of Gassin (Var) had won only matches on the challenger circuit, the second world division of tennis and remained on three titles in one year on the secondary circuit. Far from federal structures, this son of a former pro player (Virginie Paquet) and a father classified - 15 chose in 2013 to go into exile for four years in the United States, in Texas, after having pocketed his bac S The current 83rd in the world told the
Team about
his past as an academic at the A&M in Texas, at College Station. He obviously liked the experience.
“University allowed me to give myself time, to continue playing tennis while studying (…) It is especially mentally that I have come a long way there.
I went from "not at all ready to go on the circuit" to "determined to give it a shot."
“When drunken students, friends of your opponents, show up, they don't just show you nice things.
"
Arthur rinderknech
He discovered the culture of winning and an educational system based on the success of athletes, while experiencing the crazy atmosphere surrounding university matches. “
It's folklore, nothing to do with the cute applause of Wimbledon at the end of the points. When drunk students, friends of your opponents, arrive, they don't just give you kindness.
“An apprenticeship that is bearing fruit today, in the professional world. What to consider, why not an entry into the top 50 by the end of the season.