Forty years after his title, Yannick Noah was back Saturday featured on the Central of Roland-Garros where he gave a concert on the eve of the start of the tournament, joined on stage by the one he had beaten in the final in 1983, Mats Wilander. "It's weird to sing here," Noah said after a few songs. It is beautiful this short, wonderful... You're walking on velvet."
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Then he asked the audience (several thousand people including his children Joakim, Joalukas and Jenaye) if there were "old people" who were there in 1983. "About twenty... Yes, it's been a long time!" he said.
Before resuming the songs, he offered a souvenir that he embellished with a humorous note. "On the match ball, I didn't dare to serve a first ball 100%. I served 90% on Mats' forehand and as he is a good friend, he made too long a comeback," Noah said.
The images that follow Wilander's foul are famous: Noah falls to his knees and his father Zacharies, jumping from the stands, joins him to kiss him on the court. So, even if he is used to returning to Roland-Garros and on this court where he lived "the most beautiful day of (his) life apart from those of the birth of (his) children", this time it was not trivial.
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To make an exhibition, well it can still go even if it is more and more complicated ... But a concert, I was a little anxious," he admitted.
On Saturday, Wilander-turned-Eurosport participated in the party, organised by the French Tennis Federation (FFT) in honour of its winner. "I won one, he has seven (Grand Slam titles, editor's note)... Mats Wilander!" said Noah suddenly.
Wilander then went on stage to sing, accompanying himself on guitar, Bob Dylan's Knocking on heaven's door.
He then faded away leaving Noah to finish the show with his first musical hit, the beginning of a successful conversion, Saga Africa.
This song became inseparable from the victory in the 1991 Davis Cup, when he was captain of his friends Guy Forget and Henri Leconte who had defeated in Lyon the Americans Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Noah also left the stage covering the song of Telephone, I will go to New York with you.
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Thank you Amélie (Mauresmo, the tournament director), thank you Gilles (Moretton, the president of the French Tennis Federation), thank you my children for coming to support your dad, thank you all!" he concluded.
Now 63, Yannick Noah must also participate Sunday in the first day of the 2023 edition of Roland-Garros, in the inauguration of a fresco in memory of his victory in 1983 which remains the last of a French player in Grand Slam men. "It's cool that it's done, I'm very honored," admitted the former player.
The Noah fresco will be located a few meters from the imposing statue representing the master of the place Rafael Nadal, absent this year but fourteen times winner of the International of France.