We don’t stop him anymore! Since the resumption of competitions at the beginning of the summer, Fiona Ferro gives the impression of wanting to make up for the time lost following the health crisis. This lover of good restaurants who, when she has a little time, takes the opportunity to cook cakes and madeleines – her specialty – has returned to the circuits with a good appetite.
The 23-year-old Frenchwoman has in fact still not experienced the unpleasant flavor of defeat and has just chained 16 successes in a row in all competitions: ten during her two titles in the Elite challenges organized by the Federation this summer (at Nice then in Cannes), five during her victory in Palermo (WTA) and one against the Briton Heather Watson on Tuesday for her entry into the running on the clay at Roland Garros.
This Thursday the one who occupies the 49th place in the world will have the opportunity to continue her series against the formidable Kazakh Elena Rybakina (n ° 14)… who is the last player to have beaten her. It was in February, at another time, the one before the Covid-19, during the knockout stages of the Saint Petersburg tournament.
Since then, only a rib edema has stopped his insatiable gluttony for success by keeping him away from the courts for a few weeks. A history now old. “It’s been two or three weeks that I retrained, things are much better, reassured the person concerned after her victory against Watson. I play painlessly on the court, I am very happy to be able to replay matches. “
Born in Belgium of an Italian grandfather, she claims to be 100% French
Born in Belgium in 1997, Fiona Ferro only stayed a few months in the flat country before leaving Wallonia for Valbonne (Alpes-Maritimes). It is under the sun of the Côte d’Azur that the only girl in a family of four children discovered tennis “late, at the age of 8 or 9 years to do like her two big brothers”, recalls the dad Fabrizio. “She had tried other sports before, such as dancing or basketball, but she didn’t like it,” continues her father, who runs two hotels in Valbonne with her mother while the two older brothers run a restaurant there. Tennis was immediately obvious. “
Just like wearing the blue jersey. “Since she started playing, the French Federation has always helped us, the question of nationality has never arisen,” explains Fabrizio, whose father is Italian. Fiona considers herself French. “
A decision that allowed her to have a front row seat in the Fed Cup final in Australia at the end of 2019. “Tennis is not an easy sport, she is alone with her coach all year round on the circuit, says the dad. We don’t see each other often but it’s his choice. She is happy and fulfilled. This is what we wish for our child. “
Coming to Paris in large numbers – dad, mom, three sons and their girlfriends – the Ferro family experienced Fiona’s victory in front of a TV screen due to the restriction of the spectator gauge at Roland Garros. Fiona, who has the particularity of not having a textile contract, being scheduled on the Suzanne-Lenglen court, all now hope to be able to attend the match from the stands. “It may make a little noise,” promises the dad.
