Benoit Pair is currently in the position #164 del ranking ATP. Gone are the times when his backhand frightened a good part of the circuit, and also those in which, at least, he was part of the elite and had direct access to the vast majority of important events. The Frenchman has ‘dipped into the mud’ on numerous occasions over the last two seasons, with more and more frequent performances in circuit tournaments Challenger. He didn’t always get the desired results, with countless first-round losses, but his victory a month ago in the Mexican tournament of Vallarta Port It seemed like an irresistible springboard for a guy who has suffered a lot over the last few months.
This is how he manifests it every time he is asked about it. Benoit does not hide and wants to leave behind moments of suffering on a personal level, in which he found no sense in hitting the ball and playing in remote places that he never thought to visit. But little by little, Paire regains his confidence and enthusiasm: his rings do not fall off when he disputes previous phases tournaments in which he was previously seeded, as occurred in Miami (he overcame it) and since it now takes place in the ATP Masters 1000 Montecarlo 2023, where he has accessed thanks to an invitation from the organization. After beating Gregoire Barrere in his debut in the Principality and staying just one victory away from playing his second Masters 1000 of the year, the man from Avignon spoke with RMC Sport and gave details about his personal hell in recent weeks.
“By the time the head was ready, I told myself that it was also I had to stop drinking. I did a detox. Not that he was an alcoholic, but he drank a lot. I liked him, he did it too much when he went out to a party. I didn’t set any limits. All of this is already paying off: moreover, I have been able to lose a few kilos“, sentenced Paire emphatically, without hiding his drinking problem and making it clear that he is now in a completely different phase. In order to get out of this vicious circle, she enlisted the help of a circuit partner, whom she thanks after remembering the worst moment she has experienced in recent months.
“Everything clicked on Waco, on February 28 of this year. She couldn’t find the motivation. He would ask me: ‘What am I doing playing Challenger tournaments in a University, in front of two people?’ I meditated a lot and had a very long phone conversation with my mother. I left for Puerto Vallarta with a completely different mindset. Nicolas Mahut can attest to that, he also helped me a lot after the first round (in Mexico), when I saved a match point.”. We all know the story: Benoit ended up winning the tournament, crowning himself after a long title drought and beginning a relatively positive streak that would carry over to his qualification for the final draw in Miami.
IN MONTECARLO, LIKE AT HOME
But not only Benoit himself finds support from his companions on this particular desert journey. Also the tournaments they are willing to lend him a hand, something that he has experienced with the first Masters 1000 of the year on clay, which gave him a invitation to play the previous phase in a gesture that Paire himself did not expect. “During the COVID issue, I said things… not too nice. I said that the track was a graveyard, for example, but I wanted to add that it was the most beautiful tournament in the world. Together with my agent, despite this, we decided to send a proposal and his response I was touched very much. His message was a very nice gift and I greatly appreciate it “. Tomorrow, Benoit will fight for a place in the final draw of a Masters 1000. Do we have to believe in him?
