Adrien Andurand spends his year stringing tennis rackets at elite tournaments across the globe, but the 38-year-old stringer makes a point to return to the Internationaux de Rodez every season, Centre Presse Aveyron reported. Based in Toulouse and originally from Cahors, Andurand has worked at the French tournament for four editions, drawn to its relaxed atmosphere away from the intense crowds of the major tours.
Why Adrien Andurand Prefers Rodez Over Grand Slams
While he handles equipment at Roland Garros and the Australian Open, Andurand finds a different kind of reward at smaller stops like the Internationaux de Rodez. On the professional circuit, he serves as the personal stringer for Gaël Monfils, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Jelena Ostapenko under contracts covering Masters 1000 and Grand Slam events. Yet he specifically carves out time for Rodez, noting that smaller tournaments of this caliber have become rare for someone whose schedule revolves primarily around the ATP circuit. “Rodez is one of my tournois préférés,” Andurand told Centre Presse Aveyron, explaining that the familial environment and welcoming staff offer a welcome relief from his heavy travel schedule.
From Cahors to the International Tennis Circuit
Andurand’s path to professional stringing began a decade ago when he moved to Montreal for a life change. Having learned the trade through a student job at an Intersport store in Cahors, he stepped into a local shortage of stringers in Canada and landed at the country’s top shop partnered with the Canadian Federation. That initial opening led to work at Davis Cup and Fed Cup ties alongside Canada’s generation of talent, including Denis Shapovalov, Bianca Andreescu, Leylah Fernandez, and Auger-Aliassime. After teaching himself the nuances of a trade that rarely exists as a full-time standalone career, he launched his own company in 2019 and transitioned to full-time stringing in 2022.
Andurand Plans to Scale Back Travel for Family
Operating at the highest levels of professional tennis requires substantial sacrifice, with Andurand spending roughly six months of every year away from home. He shares tournament duties with a collaborator currently stationed in Shanghai while he manages his own demanding slate of events. Looking ahead, Andurand plans to scale back his full-time travel to focus on starting a family and spending more time in France, though he intends to maintain his ties to the sport.
Andurand Will Service Rackets in Australia in January
Following his work on the autumn circuit, Andurand’s next major travel checkpoint brings him to Australia in January, where he will service player rackets as the domestic season shifts to the Southern Hemisphere.
Worth a look
