Before the Australian Open, Constant Lestienne, 30, was ranked 227th in the world.
Nine months later, here is the Amiens, who faces his compatriot Arthur Rinderknech this Wednesday in the second round of the ATP 250 tournament in Gijon (Spain), listed on line 63 of the ATP grimoire.
A hell of a summer sleight of hand, with three titles and a Challenger final (the D 2 of tennis) and successful first performances on the big stage of the circuit (quarter in San Diego and a half in Tel Aviv in ATP 250) .
The destiny is atypical, but almost logical for the new hexagonal n° 4, specialist in… magic!
An art in which the Habs have also reached a professional level.
"I fell into it when I was 24," he says.
I had a long period of injury, I was in Paris and went to a magic shop to buy small trinkets to start.
I met two guys in the store who took me under their wing and taught me everything.
I saw them every day for two years.
It's thanks to them.
Then I continued on my own.
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On a court, the magician doses
In his sporting tribulations, Lestienne lacks neither time nor guinea pigs to practice.
" It is important.
In tennis, there are many low moments, periods of travel, hotel rooms… Magic allowed me to make the most of my time and to take pleasure in being in a tournament, he continues.
I worked a lot on my technique.
And doing tricks on my classmates is fun!
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This passion, which could be a real job, is not anecdotal.
And even finds an extension when it comes to handling the racket.
“There are similarities in terms of mentalism to succeed in getting a little into the head of the one opposite, he laughs.
It really helped me to analyze my opponents on the field, their body language.
Since I've been doing magic, I feel like I've adapted better.
But hey, I'm not going to tell all my secrets..."
Very skilful, the Frenchman is one of the players who are said to have “one hand”.
On a court, the magician measures.
"But there, the two have nothing to do," he says.
In magic, everything is done with the fingers.
Tennis is the hand, the arm.
With work, anyone can be good at magic.
But people don't have the patience…” One of the greatest qualities of Picard, who turned pro ten years ago.
But he admits it himself.
He does not know what he is pulling his recent results out of.
“I started playing on the circuit without really knowing what it was”
“Perseverance is rewarded,” he observes.
What's funny is that I haven't changed anything in the last few months.
I won a lot of matches on the wire and that weighs in the balance.
1st, 2nd rounds in a pinch which then allow to win tournaments.
It gives a lot of confidence and it creates a snowball effect.
I was convinced that I could do it, that's why I continued.
Otherwise I would have stopped at 22 and I would have done something else.
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The new member of the elite brotherhood has however long believed that the top 100 had posed a rabbit for him.
Promised to a bright future after a youth built outside the bosom of the federation, he saw his career punctuated with injuries and stops.
“No one ever warned me since I've never been in the federal system.
I studied after my baccalaureate
(in management)
and I started playing like that on the circuit without really knowing what it was, the mistakes not to make, explains the pupil of Julien Varlet.
The path is strewn with pitfalls.
There were very hard periods, moments of doubt.
You have to realize that it's the jungle and that there are plenty of obstacles to overcome.
Not everyone makes it.
I could have gotten there sooner some other way…or never.
I made my choices and I'm happy today.
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His ambitions were by no means an illusion.
New doors are opening in terms of programming and the top 30 is now the goal of the thirties.
“I would not say that my life will change, he breathes.
It will necessarily be more pleasant, as a reward for being able to play the biggest tournaments.
Let's say it will be the same thing and more fun.
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We don't succeed just by magic
After the ATP 250 events in Gijon and Naples, Lestienne will try his luck in the qualifications in Basel (ATP 500) and Bercy (Masters 1000).
Unless his recent performances directly open the doors to the Rolex Paris Masters.
"I haven't had a lot of invitations in my life and deep down I would like to, I would be very happy," he says.
On the other hand, I don't expect anything anymore because they are disappointments every time.
At Roland-Garros, I was very close to the wildcard but I never made the final draw.
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In 2016, then 206th, he had nevertheless drawn the right card.
But the precious sesame had been stolen from him by the organizers on the eve of the Parisian Grand Slam for an incredible mishap that he prefers not to mention today.
The previous year, a month after signing the charter which prohibited players from betting on their discipline, he wanted to pay off the 2.90 euros he had left on his online account by betting on the final between Djokovic and Wawrinka.
An insignificant sum for an even more marginal gain (1.40 euros) with disastrous consequences twelve months later.
No opportunity to shine, 30,000 euros guaranteed in prize money gone then three and a half months of firm suspension for having bet on other matches than his between 2012 and 2015. The wheel of misfortune turned well.
“With experience, I learned not to expect anything from others,” he concludes.
But I've always believed in it…” We don't succeed just by magic.