French Supporters’ Impact at the 2023 Australian Open

About twenty, thirty at most. There aren’t many of them but they make noise. So much so that you surely hear them a little in front of your television screen, and if this is not the case, the cameras do not fail to film them at regular intervals when a French man or woman is in the running in this Australian Open. And at the end of each victorious match, it is enough to hear Arthur Cazaux, Ugo Humbert and other Adrian Mannarino thank them warmly to realize the impact of the Blues supporters in Melbourne.

After creating a sensation against Holger Rune in the 2nd round, Cazaux paid them a vibrant tribute in his post-match interview. “I don’t know how they managed to stay like that the whole match. They are so crazy! Thank you very much to all the French people who came to see me. They pushed me on every point since the 1st round against Djere”, he blurted. Before hilariously responding to his interlocutor that he did not know this joyful group of enthusiasts with boundless energy.

It all started in 2023 from almost nothing

Maxime and Maxence, two members of these noted fans, agreed to tell us a little more about this beautiful story. One is 24 years old, creates social media content in the world of sports betting and travels to cover tournaments around the world (18 in 2023). The other is even younger (22 years old) and has a “working holiday visa” which, as its name suggests, allows him to work in Australia and travel around the country for two years. He worked on a farm, a bar-restaurant and even planted trees.

Mannarino enjoys, his supporters jubilant: the match ball on video

Between them, they faithfully represent the heterogeneous composition of a group not at all initially organized to play such a role. “I had already come to the Australian Open last year, we created a great atmosphere, it was incredible. And I told people I met there that I would come back, that we would meet again and that we would make even more noise this year, Maxime tells us. It’s done! In the middle of 2023, we contacted each other again on the networks so that we could see who was available and who was not for the tournament. We got together and created the atmosphere during the different matches.”

While they had given voice especially after five or six days of competition last year, this time, they started much earlier. Arriving from the qualifications, they started at two, three, five then twenty-five depending on availability and meetings. But as modest as their number is, they succeeded through their commitment to create a connection with the French players as well as their staff in the stands.

A virtuous circle maintained by the players, ticket suppliers

“This year, whether in qualifying or in the first round, we were one of the most represented nations, we said to ourselves that we were very lucky and that there was a way to rotate matches, continues Maxence. This is what happened in the 2nd round of Diane Parry against Rakhimova, in Cazaux’s match against Djere where in the 5th, he put her 6-2 and he forgot his cramps. Having this communion with them, that they come to thank us, that they send us messages, that we have places, that motivates us even more. One look, a raised fist in our direction, and the embers ignite.”

Once contact is made, a virtuous circle is created. Supported by their small group of supporters, the players struggle to find places for their matches, each time around twenty sent to one of them who then distributes them. Caroline Garcia initiated the movement in 2023, Ugo Humbert notably followed her this year by demanding from Maxime via a message on social networks a Davis Cup atmosphere, a real cauldron during his 2nd round against the Chinese Zhizhen Zhang. Ecstatic after his victory, Messin joined them immediately to sing the Marseillaise and a vibrant “Auxarmes”.

But the role of Maxime, Maxence and their acolytes is not limited to supporting the Blues. They can somehow enter into psychological battle with the opponent. This was the case during the Cazaux-Rune match. “We are very respectful: we don’t talk before the serve, we don’t applaud double faults. But it’s true that we know certain temperaments and Rune, as soon as he put a ball in the net, we stood up, we clenched our fists. We looked for him a little, but gently. And at one point, he wins a crazy point, he looks at us and he says: ‘Cry now!’ Finally ‘crying’ in English. And we all got up and it followed him the whole match. We are at the limit, but we never exceed them”, assures Maxence.

Chambering, psychological game and… humor

And Maxime adds: “We have just come out of the Mannarino match there (against Shelton, Editor’s note), it was incredible: we made two kops of around ten people to respond to each other by singing ‘To Arms’. The Australians n ‘I couldn’t believe their eyes. There aren’t many of us, but we’re making noise! ​​At one point, Shelton looks at us and makes a sign that means: ‘I can’t hear you anymore.’ And that made us even more heated.'”

The uproar also continued in the stands between supporters: the Americans having used Shelton’s celebration – who hangs up a fictitious telephone after each success – were treated to a backlash from the French, once the match was over. But the atmosphere remains good-natured of course where humor has its place: a France 98 jersey with the famous number 10 flocked with the expression “Divine bald” to draw a parallel between Manna and Zinédine Zidane was notably out Friday. And this sporting spirit did not fail to touch the members of the French Tennis Federation also present in the stands.

“The president of the FFT Gilles Moretton bought us a bottle of champagne at the somewhat VIP bar of the Australian Open. Arthur Cazaux arrived and… I think they had never seen that before. We went back the bar. And I would like to point out that Paul-Henri Mathieu had to pay for his round this evening and we are still waiting for him!”, concludes Maxime with a smile. There is definitely something special happening in Melbourne this year and the Blues will not complain about it, they who will be at least two in the second week (Mannarino and Clara Burel or Océane Dodin). This is a great dynamic to launch 2024.

2024-01-19 17:12:00
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