EXCLUSIVE - Gilles Moretton: "We have to challenge ourselves"

Colin Abgrall 08:54, May 23, 2022

EXCLUSIVE

While the Parisian Grand Slam tournament opened this Sunday, the first under the direction of Amélie Mauresmo, Gilles Moretton, 64, gave an exclusive interview to Europe 1. He returns to his responsibilities as president of the federation, his first year at the head of it, the future of French tennis but also his Urban Tennis project, intended to popularize the sport throughout France, particularly among the young generation.

On his responsibilities: "We will regain the good health of tennis"

Australian Open, in all the tournaments I have seen in France and then at Roland-Garros.

The interest in this tournament shows that tennis is doing well in France but also internationally."

On the competition with the other Grand Slams: "We absolutely have to challenge ourselves"

image of tennis has a bit of this high-end, a bit bourgeois, snobbish side.

It is not the case at all.

Tennis is not like that in France.

When we go to our clubs in the depths of our departments, we realize that tennis is played everywhere and for everyone.

One of my battles will be to change that image.

We tend to see tennis through the Roland-Garros television screen.

These boxes, these hats in the presidential gallery give a somewhat upmarket image.

But this is not the reality of the practice.

We are a popular sport, really practiced everywhere."

we realize that tennis is played everywhere and for everyone.

One of my battles will be to change that image.

We tend to see tennis through the Roland-Garros television screen.

These boxes, these hats in the presidential gallery give a somewhat upmarket image.

But this is not the reality of the practice.

We are a popular sport, really practiced everywhere."

we realize that tennis is played everywhere and for everyone.

One of my battles will be to change that image.

We tend to see tennis through the Roland-Garros television screen.

These boxes, these hats in the presidential gallery give a somewhat upmarket image.

But this is not the reality of the practice.

We are a popular sport, really practiced everywhere."

The nomination of Amélie Mauresmo: "I nominated a competitor"

We will see on this new Roland-Garros what will be very different.

We will see a bit of Amélie's mark on the tournament."

On the future of French tennis: "It's a bit like my project"

We also have a training system which is good, which is good up to the age of twelve or fourteen.

And behind it, it's a bit like my work as president of a federation with the national technical management, we identified flaws.

So we're talking about flaws, but we're also talking about an evolution.

Things have changed.

My generation or the next generation, we were almost the only ones trained by the federation.

Our coaches were federal coaches and there wasn't much else.

Today, we started with a different model where there are individual coaches who are doing a very good job.

I think we have to modify our model in relation to this situation."

is a bit like my project as president of a federation with the national technical management, we have identified flaws.

So we're talking about flaws, but we're also talking about an evolution.

Things have changed.

My generation or the next generation, we were almost the only ones trained by the federation.

Our coaches were federal coaches and there wasn't much else.

Today, we started with a different model where there are individual coaches who are doing a very good job.

I think we have to change our model in relation to this situation."

is a bit like my project as president of a federation with the national technical management, we have identified flaws.

So we're talking about flaws, but we're also talking about an evolution.

Things have changed.

My generation or the next generation, we were almost the only ones trained by the federation.

Our coaches were federal coaches and there wasn't much else.

Today, we started with a different model where there are individual coaches who are doing a very good job.

I think we have to change our model in relation to this situation."

we were almost the only ones trained by the federation.

Our coaches were federal coaches and there wasn't much else.

Today, we started with a different model where there are individual coaches who are doing a very good job.

I think we have to change our model in relation to this situation."

we were almost the only ones trained by the federation.

Our coaches were federal coaches and there wasn't much else.

Today, we started with a different model where there are individual coaches who are doing a very good job.

I think we have to change our model in relation to this situation."

His favorites of the tournament: "We have an open Roland-Garros"

excitement is at its peak at Roland-Garros.

Because there, we have Roland-Garros "open" (open, editor's note) whereas for years, we have had a Roland-Garros with Rafael Nadal, the favorite on clay and then there, first we see the others get closer, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev who we will find here at Roland-Garros, but also the young Carlos Alcaraz, whom everyone is talking about and it is true that he is a dream.

He impressed everyone during the Madrid tournament, but we have Djokovic, big favorite, who we don't talk too much about and who will still arrive with the Madrid title in his pocket.

And then Rafael Nadal, of course."

the favorite on clay and then there, first we see the others getting closer, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev who we will find here at Roland-Garros, but also the young Carlos Alcaraz, of whom everyone speaks and it's true that he makes people dream.

He impressed everyone during the Madrid tournament, but we have Djokovic, big favorite, who we don't talk too much about and who will still arrive with the Madrid title in his pocket.

And then Rafael Nadal, of course."

the favorite on clay and then there, first we see the others getting closer, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev who we will find here at Roland-Garros, but also the young Carlos Alcaraz, of whom everyone speaks and it's true that he makes people dream.

He impressed everyone during the Madrid tournament, but we have Djokovic, big favorite, who we don't talk too much about and who will still arrive with the Madrid title in his pocket.

And then Rafael Nadal, of course."

but we have Djokovic, big favorite, who we don't talk about too much and who will arrive anyway with the Madrid title in his pocket.

And then Rafael Nadal, of course."

but we have Djokovic, big favorite, who we don't talk too much about and who will arrive anyway with the Madrid title in his pocket.

And then Rafael Nadal, of course."

On the presence of Rafael Nadal: "We are very close to him"

"We are necessarily happy. He is a bit like the ambassador of Roland-Garros with his titles, with his prize list, with his statue and we are very close to him. We like his behavior, we like his attitude and we want to see him here play. And then, why not win again?

On the duel Novak Djokovic - Rafael Nadal: "The challenge is at its height"

We'll see in the draw.

It's going to be quite interesting to see the picture take shape in the quarter-finals and semi-finals."

On the presence of Russian and Belarusian players, whom the Wimbledon tournament did not accept: "This is France's position"

"On March 9, the sports ministers of the European Union as well as other ministers such as the Americans, the Canadians, the Japanese, the Australians, took a position concerning Russian and Belarusian players. It was agreed with the Olympic Committee and the international federations to prohibit these two nations on the team matches. So unfortunately you will not see the Russian team playing in the Davis cup. On the other hand, it was authorized for the players to play individually without playing under their banner, under their anthem, under their flags."

On the stands of the central court: "The presidential stand will be occupied by volunteers"

We tried to fill in and over time, we will try to improve.

I think it's part of Amélie Mauresmo's wish.

We want tennis fans to be there to encourage them because they are there first, they are there last, at the end of the day, when it is necessary to encourage the players.