Not even the important victory over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard managed to change the face of Maxime Janvier. The French tennis player beat his compatriot and entered the main draw of Wimbledon, after winning three matches in qualifying. And yet, despite the triumph, neither the money it will mean in his account, nor the points he will earn in the ATP ranking, nor the prestige of playing in the British Grand Slam, make a man who declared he hates professional tennis happy.
At 27 years old, Janvier is ranked 225 in the ATP rankings. He comes from playing Challengers tournaments and although he is already inside the majestic London tournament that shines for its elegance, white suits and imposing settings, the smile does not appear on his face. The Frenchman gave a candid interview to L’Equipe, where he confessed his lack of love for tennis. The loneliness he feels when he enters the field is the same one that has accompanied him for years. “You are your own boss,” said Janvier, commenting on the few positive things he finds in a sport that does not fulfill him.
Hopelessness is felt in his raw words. “Tennis disappoints me a lot. When I was younger, I didn’t think it was like that at all. I would never have played tennis if I had known. This lack of permanent stability allows you to be in 50th place and next year in 800th …There is nothing taken for granted in tennis. And there is no protection. I no longer expect much from this sport, for a long time, the tennis player told the prestigious media. French.
The disappointment is great in Maxime, who argues the injustice he finds in the sum of points and in the distribution of money. “I am a tennis employee,” he commented. Play to add numbers to your bank account. If you don’t compete, you don’t receive income. Sponsorships are not plentiful, but he knows that he must work to earn his bread. “There are boys ranked worse, who have less good races, but who have sponsors. I tried to find sponsors, no one wants to. I don’t know how it works. I no longer have the answers,” lamented the Frenchman.
“If it weren’t for the financial situation, I would have stopped doing it a long time ago. Of course, playing Wimbledon, doing second weeks… I prefer that to other jobs, that’s why I continue. But if in three years I am in 400th place in the world, I will dare three months to climb again and if not, I will stop.
“La maison ! La maison !”
Maxime Janvier sait visiblement déjà ce qu’il va faire de son prize money après sa qualification pour le tableau principal de Wimbledon.
Victoire 6-7, 7-5, 7-6, 7-6 malgré les 44 (!) aces de Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. pic.twitter.com/vBsJf6O54C
— Quentin Moynet (@QuentinMoynet) June 27, 2024
Janvier’s lack of love for the sport of his life also goes hand in hand with the little information he had since he was little, when everything was easier and he only worried about hitting the other side of the net with his racket. But he regrets when he remembers everything behind going in search of points in tournaments. The doctors, trainers, equipment, travel, hotels, costs. “They don’t tell you all that when you’re little. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have played tennis. And then I know that I’m going back to the Challenger, where it’s 400 euros gross in the first round. So, if you lose in the first round , you lose money… No, I wouldn’t wish the tennis life on anyone. Unless that’s all you want. Unless you live, eat and go to the tennis bath. For seven years I didn’t have. not even a week’s vacation. I don’t feel any pleasure.”
These are the words of a man overcome by circumstance. A man who, however, still stands and competes, but instability knocks at his door day and night. The worst thing, perhaps, is the feeling of having chosen the wrong path: “If I could rebuild my life, I would never play tennis again. I would play soccer or basketball.” Maxime Janvier lives the dream of being a professional athlete. Dream for some, nightmare for the French.
