Paris (AFP)
After more than limitless tantrums, after balanced matches, after a strange apathy on the court, Benoît Paire explained himself on social networks on Friday: the whimsical French player does not manage to overcome the playing conditions induced by the health measures for a year, but he intends to hang on.
"Firstly, well done to Holger whom I appreciate very much, I wish him well in his career. Secondly, a big thank you to my relatives who sent me messages of support which made me really feel good," Paire wrote in a message on Instagram, two days after a more than pitiful performance at the tournament in Santiago de Chile where he was dominated by Holger Rune, 17 years old and only 410th player in the world, 6-2, 6-3.
In addition to the elimination from his entry in the running, it is the almost worrying apathy of Paire which marked the spirits.
No anger, no encouragement, no racket throwing, no rebellion ... just despondency.
An astonishing state of mind that he wanted to explain by referring to an "ATP circuit that has become sad, boring and ridiculous".
"I know, you are going to say + you don't realize how lucky you are bla-bla-bla +, but playing in closed stadiums without any atmosphere is not why I play tennis", a he stressed, reiterating a position he has held since resuming the circuit last summer in heavy health security conditions because of covid-19.
- Setbacks -
It must be recognized that the 31-year-old from Avignon, 29th in the world, is one of the players who has suffered the most from the health measures imposed by the tournament organizers.
Several weeks of total isolation in a New York hotel for testing positive for coronavirus before the start of the US Open in September, then fourteen days of confinement upon his arrival in Melbourne for the Australian Open in January without exit authorization for having been a contact case on the plane, then a day of isolation because of a positive Covid case in his hotel ... And a poor elimination in the first round.
After the Australian Major, Paire moved to South America where he hoped to enjoy more open living conditions.
But on the court, he chained the setbacks.
First in Buenos Aires where, as soon as he entered the competition against Francisco Cerundolo (137th), Pair cracked.
Challenging a referee's decision, he pointedly spat on the mark left by the ball on the clay court.
A few protests and shouted bad words then earned him a penalty point, before a tragicomic outcome.
On the match point, he committed a double fault by serving in particular his second ball in a beginner's gesture by seeking less to put it in the service box than to avoid the ball collector who was still on the path.
- Provocation -
To his escapades on the court, he then added a provocation on social networks where his detractors had a blast: a photo of the ATP site showing his $ 8.5 million in career earnings was accompanied of the comment "Finally worth it to suck" and two emoticons, a kiss and a middle finger.
After this explosive crisis, Santiago's tetany attack was all the more surprising.
"For me, playing tennis has become a bland job. So yes, it takes me a while to adjust to this pseudo ATP circuit, but I will make the effort to try to find just the pleasure of playing tennis" , he wrote on Instagram confirming his intention to line up at Acapulco (March 15-20) and then at the Master 1000 in Miami (March 24-April 4).
"My goal will be just to have a smile on the field and enjoy kicking a ball, whether I win or lose, I really don't care," he concluded.
In the front row to feel Paire's distress in Santiago, Rune immediately reacted to the Frenchman's publication: "respect", he posted with the sobriety of facing a person in great suffering.
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