GRODZISK MAZOWIECKI, August 12, 2024
Relaxed, more relaxed, Benoit Paire. This describes the demeanor of the 35-year-old Frenchman. Under bright sunshine, dressed in sweatpants and a shirt from his own collection with the words “Hors Paire” (“hors pair” is French for “outstanding”), dark sunglasses, and his signature beard neatly trimmed, Paire strolls around the grounds of the Akademia Tenisowa Tenis Kozerki on Monday afternoon.
This expansive tennis facility is hosting the third edition of the Kozerki Open this week. Before hitting his first serve at the ATP Challenger Tour 75 hard-court tournament, which offers a prize pool of €74,825, the former World No. 18 completes a PR appointment for the event with a sense of deep relaxation. Ahead of it Paire chose to dine at the on-site Italian restaurant for his nourishment rather than in the player area. As a Frenchman, he naturally has an appreciation for good food.
“I feel good. I’m certainly not in peak condition, but overall, I’m feeling much better,” Paire describes his physical state in an interview with Tennis TourTalk. “I’ve already had to undergo some treatments on my knee this season. Now I want to attack again: practice, play matches, and be on the court without pain. It’s about building confidence ahead of the US Open. I haven’t needed painkillers for a few weeks now. That makes me very happy.”
So far this season, Paire has only won seven matches. However, these victories include notable wins over players like Andy Murray at the ATP tournament in Montpellier in January and Hamad Medjedovic in mid-March at the Challenger in Phoenix. The current World No. 240 was also active for the Kölner HTC in Germany’s 2nd Tennis Bundesliga North but narrowly missed promotion with the Rot-Weiß team.
“This might be the worst season of my career,” Paire explains. “And it’s not about my game, but my body. I had some injections in my foot at the start of the year. It wasn’t easy. Then I played soccer and injured my knee two weeks before Roland-Garros. Now I am feeling better.”
Paire is making his first appearance at the relatively new Challenger event in Poland. “I’m happy to be here. It’s important for me to climb back up the rankings. My goal is to return to the Top 100, so I need to win as many matches as possible. And why not start with a title here?”
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And how does the man from Avignon spend his days in the small town about 25 kilometers west of the Polish capital, Warsaw?
“There are a few other French players here. I enjoy my time with them. Everything is very pleasant here. Everything is within walking distance. I also try to relax a bit, so time at the pool is planned,” answers Paire, who hasn’t missed a chance to follow the Olympic Games in his homeland in recent weeks. “It was a highlight. France won many gold medals. It was nice to watch sports like table tennis or archery, which usually don’t get much attention.”
Now it’s up to Paire to follow suit on the tennis court. First up at the Kozerki Open will be No. 5 seed Timofey Skatov of Kazakhstan on Tuesday evening.
