Guest of the show "Face aux auditeurs", on Europe 1, the former captain of the France Davis Cup team talks about his opposition to the reform of the competition.

FACING THE AUDITORS

"Now for me it's over, it's the past," says Yannick Noah when asked about the Davis Cup, which he won twice at home as a coach, in 1991 in Lyon and in 2017 in Lille. Evoking "the most beautiful emotions of (his) life" in the show Face aux auditeurs , on Europe 1, the former tennis player explains his opposition to the reform of the competition, ratified in 2018 and which is now disputed in a single city .

>>> FACING THE AUDITORS - Listen to Yannick Noah on Europe 1, Sunday from 8 pm to 9 pm

"When I played the final of my life, I was in Paris"

"Why do you do this job?" It's to be able, at the time of the match, to look at the happy people who are singing and crying, "says Yannick Noah. "That's why you wake up every morning, train yourself, sometimes you hurt your body and your head, and you sacrifice everything so you can live those moments. live at home, it's wonderful. "

The champion knows what he is talking about and illustrates: "It turns out that my moment of glory to me (his victory at Roland Garros in 1983, ed ), I lived in Paris.When I played the final in my life, I was in Paris, it was at home, that time I would have lived in New York, at the US Open, it would have had nothing to do. I did not have the opportunity to jump! It's too high, there would have been the police! "

"I was a ball picker, it was wonderful"

"Playing tennis well in Madrid, Lyon or Singapore and making money is good for the players," Yannick Noah said. "But we lose something unique, it's being able to play at home, it does not cost that, it drives me crazy, when you play at home, kids, little tennis fans, can be with us in training, outside the matches, it's a dream ... I was a ball-collector, it was wonderful. "

And the former tennis player tacler: "The people of the ITF (the International Federation of Tennis, ed ), the people of the federations, they do not see that, because for the most part they have never played tennis. ... I was against (reform, ed ), but now, money is king, we will find other ways to share with children. "