Benoit Paire: 'Novak Djokovic breaks more raquets than me, a lot more'
Each in their own way, professional tennis players are more than just the scores they manage in matches. Benoit Paire, recent trophy lifter of the Lyon ATP 250, shared with L’Equipe some details of his off-court life, "You have to understand that for some players, their life is not just tennis, some people just put it in priority and live 'tennis, tennis, tennis'; for others like Kyrgios, Fognini, it's not just that. We have a life next door and we are very happy to have a night out, to have a drink. With Nick, we did two or three nights out, we had a great time. My life, I look at it, I am very happy. Some will say it's a ‘spoiled talent’, that it has not been in the 10. I think my career is very good."
Reputed to be a man with a heated character, France’s fourth best-ranked ATP player somehow denied the veracity of this belief, "All those who know me say that ‘Benoit is the nice guy, quiet, not too excited,’ but there is this image that sticks to my skin, of the guy who fizzes all the time. As soon as I throw a racket, it seems that people are waiting for that. Like: ‘Well, that's the Benoit we know.’ No, it happens to everyone. Look at [Novak] Djokovic: he breaks more rackets than me! A lot more! But we're not going to keep that from Djokovic... I was quieter than Djoko this year.”
World No. 38 after climbing 13 places in the ranking following his Lyon victory, Paire expressed his thoughts on his career, “On the court, there are moments when I tell myself: ‘It's been ten years that you're on the circuit’ and the only problem is sometimes to find the motivation. I come to a tournament sometimes, and I think there are other things besides tennis. There are times when I prefer to spend time with my friends, go for drinks, go for two-three days over the weekend, empty my head. That's what people have trouble understanding, that's why they say, ‘But what is he doing? He is not pro!’”
Paire has taken down Marius Copil in four sets to secure himself a place in the French Open round of 64. He will soon face countryman Pierre-Huges Herbert.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2W041Fv
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