Javier Frana and his precise gaze return to Clarín to tell the secrets of Roland Garros from Paris

Javier Franaone of the most prestigious tennis analysts in Latin America, returns this weekend to the pages of Clarion to provide his precise look at everything that happens on the brick dust of Roland Garrossecond Grand Slam of the year, which will be held from this Sunday in Paris without the participation of the legendary Rafael Nadal.

“Returning to Roland Garros is always special and this time I will be able to do two activities that I really enjoy. It is that I will be as a coach, working together with Sebastián Báez’s team, and also analyzing matches for Clarín. The circuit is renewed, the styles are having their tendencies and the parties acquire very dizzying dynamics. Understanding the game is a challenge for players, but also for tennis fans.“, Warns Frana from the French capital hours before the start of the competition.

The career of Javier Frana

Born 56 years ago in Rafaela, Santa Fe, Frana was a very prominent tennis player before beginning her career in the media. A professional since 1986, his greatest achievements were achieved in the doubles modality, in which -among other achievements- he came to occupy 14th place in the world ranking and won the bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics together with Christian Miniussi.

As a doubles player, he won seven ATP titles, Florence 1988, with Miniussi; Guarujá 1990, with Gustavo Luza; Los Angeles 1991, together with the American Jim Pugh; Newport 1993, together with the South African Christo Van Rensburg, and Bordeaux, that same year, in a duo with Pablo Albano; and another two in 1995, Mexico, with the Mexican Leonardo Lavalle, and Ostrava, together with the Swedish Jonas Bjorkman. He also played nine other finals.

Together with Lavalle, he reached the Wimbledon final in 1991, in which they lost in four sets to the Swede Anders Järryd and the Australian John Fitzgerald. Five years later, he had the pleasure of lifting the trophy at Roland Garros, where he became the mixed doubles champion alongside Patricia Tarabini.

The left-handed man from Santa Fe also knew how to shout champion in singles. He won three titles, Guarujá 1991, Santiago 1993 and Nottingham 1995; and reached six other finals. And he reached the 30th step of the ATP individual ranking.

He was a three-time Olympian. In Seoul 1988 he lost in the second round of the singles with Martín Jaite, who was his partner in the doubles (they lost in their debut). In Barcelona 1992, he climbed to the third step of the podium together with Miniussi after losing in the semis against the Germans Boris Becker and Michael Stich, later champions. And he reached the second round of the individual draw. And in Atlanta 1996, he could not surpass the debut in singles nor in doubles, where he played with Luis Lobo.

He was a member of the Argentine Davis Cup team during the eleven years of his professional career and he was the flag bearer for the Argentine delegation at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, where he won gold in doubles, along with Lobo, and silver in singles.

Goodbye to tennis and landing in the media

In the middle of 1997, when he had returned to play at a high level after a very tough season personally, a strange ear condition forced him to end his career. On June 23, he defeated Czech Martin Damm in the first round of Wimbledon. After the victory, he said that after the first set he began to feel an annoying noise in his left ear. Gradually, he began to lose his hearing and after consulting a doctor, he did not show up for his next engagement.

Though he tried to keep playingon August 1, 1997 he finally announced his retirement. In 1998, he accepted the challenge of starting to report and comment on games in the signals of ESPN -where he worked until 2019- and became one of the best tennis analysts in Latin America. In 2020, along with his decision to work as a coach and contribute all his experience, he joined the ranks of Clarín. This weekend he will contribute his gaze again to be very close to everything that happens at Roland Garros.

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