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35YO French Veteran Shares Heart Shattering Olympic Update as Recent ATP Success Remains Short Lived

Published 11/12/2023, 4:57 AM EST

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In the enormous world of professional tennis, strategies on the court often define a player’s journey. Some athletes manage to keep themselves in the constant rhythm of competitions, while others, considering their convenience, strategically choose when to enter the arena, aiming to keep their morale and rankings intact. In the middle of this backdrop of choices, a recent revelation by the French tennis sensation Adrian Mannarino shocked the tennis world.

Known for his dominant form and strategic decisions, Mannarino’s approach to tournaments has always reflected a balance between active participation and calculated choices. As the tennis circuit is now looking forward to many valuable competitions, Mannarino has recently made headlines with a surprising announcement concerning his involvement in the upcoming Olympics.

Tennis player Adrian Mannarino announces shocking update

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French tennis player Adrian Mannarino, currently ranked 25th in the world, recently made a bold announcement ahead of the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. Despite the valuable event being hosted in his home country at the iconic Roland Garros, Mannarino has chosen to not participate in the event, expressing a different approach to looking at things.

In a recent statement, the 35-year-old tennis star shared his perspective, saying, “What will I do at the Olympics when I have no chance of winning a medal? The Olympics are incredible for me, but I have to admit that taking part in them without any hope of winning a medal is ridiculous.” While highlighting his preference for setting meaningful upcoming goals, he expressed that he has no interest in participating without a genuine shot at success.

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Along with the announcement, Mannarino acknowledged his perceived disadvantage on clay courts, which is also the surface of the upcoming Olympic Games. “I’m in the top 30 in the world when playing on hard surfaces, but only around 90 on clay,” the 35-year-old added.

Keeping in view his track record at Roland Garros, Mannarino accepted his limitations on clay, stating, “If I’m not playing against players who are outside the top 40, I have no chance on this surface.” This decision gave out Mannarino’s focus to chase victories and meaningful achievements in his tennis career, even if it included keeping out of a major global sporting event. While the fans take the announcement as a shock, his recent victory update was nothing less than a surprise.

Adrian Mannarino’s recent hard-court victory in Sofia

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In an intense final, Adrian Mannarino laid his hands on the Sofia Open title by defeating Jack Draper with a scoreline of 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-3. This victory marked Mannarino’s third title this year, with previous ones in Astana and Newport, making it a standout season for the French tennis star. Mannarino’s victory at the Sofia Open not only added another trophy to his collection but also boosted his tally to a career-best 40 match wins for the year, highlighting his consistent and impressive performance.

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Importantly, the finals at the Sofia Open also took away the chance from Draper to win his first ATP title along with bringing his impressive nine-match winning streak to an end. Mannarino’s resilience and strategic play were evident throughout the match, ultimately securing him the fifth ATP title of his career. While the Frenchman’s success in Sofia established his reputation as a hard-to-beat competitor, fans took the announcement of skipping the Olympics as a shock.

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Written by:

Akshay Kapoor

901Articles

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Akshay Kapoor is a tennis writer at Essentially Sports. With a commendable experience of around 2 years in sports journalism under his belt, Akshay joined ES with the intention of taking the next step in honing his skills. Born into a family that practically breathes tennis, Akshay spent his early days huddled together with his loved ones, watching the electrifying rallies of the legendary Rafael Nadal.
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Edited by:

Shudh.mukherjee