Adrian Mannarino: “Being present at the Olympics doesn’t interest me”

“This is your eighth first round defeat in eight appearances in Rome. Is clay really very complicated for you?
It’s always the same. When you lack confidence and victories, it’s not easy to get into the match. You’re looking for yourself a little. The conditions at the start of the match were very complicated, with Nadal training on court 3, to the side, everyone screaming, the microphone of the referee from the back court which was even louder than the microphone of our referee… It’s difficult to concentrate on this kind of court, in these conditions. Unfortunately, it took me a little too long to get into the match. Afterwards, in the second set, it wasn’t so bad. I should have put him in a little more trouble with his service games. It wasn’t a bad set.

You don’t like clay, we know that, but what makes you unable to play your game on this surface?
We could talk about it for hours. I am someone who tightens his racket very little. On clay, the string relaxes a little faster, the strings move a lot, you have to adapt all the time, it’s more complicated for me than on hard court. Then I have a game where I get the ball a little earlier than the other players and I’m in a little more danger with fake bounces. It’s certain that when you’re far behind the baseline, you have more time to adapt. But when you don’t have very lifted trajectories, if you are far behind the line, it’s complicated.

“I manage to adapt quite quickly on grass, where other players have difficulty, but on clay, it’s the opposite. We have to fight “

In terms of movement, when returning a serve, it’s a whole coordination process, more or less natural for certain players. Me, on clay, I really tend to move less well. I manage to adapt quite quickly on grass, where other players have difficulty, but on clay, it’s the opposite. We have to fight. But it’s been four or five years since I started the clay court season injured. I had five weeks without being able to play (following a plantar aponeurosis contracted in Miami). I’m starting the season in Madrid by playing Félix (Auger-Aliassime) in the first round, it’s not easy either!

Under these conditions, the question of your participation in the Olympic Games, for which you are sportingly qualified, seems settled, right?
You really don’t have to be very intelligent not to have the answer. If people can’t get the answer, I’ll leave it in doubt then. (smile)

“Unless we win Roland-Garros perhaps… (smile)”

Let’s be more direct then: so you will not participate in the Games?
Well… unless you win Roland-Garros perhaps… (smile)

It’s not regrettable to have to give up the Olympics all the same?
At this level, we are great competitors. Making an appearance, making an appearance, that doesn’t interest us. If I don’t have the sporting means to win a medal, if I’m going there just to say, I made the Olympics, that doesn’t interest me at all. It also means taking the place of someone who will potentially have a good chance of competing. I both don’t want to be selfish and stay consistent with my principles. I’m not playing the role, I’m here to achieve good results. If there is no way to achieve good results, if it is not a tournament that is obligatory, in that case, it is not my priority.

Have you formally indicated this to the FFT?
No, I still have the chance to win Roland-Garros, so potentially still the chance to make the Games. It’s not done (smile).”