Defeating the ‘Big 3’ is a dream of every tennis player. For most on the tennis circuit, it remains a distant dream throughout their careers. However, French tennis player Lucas Pouille realized it back in 2016 when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the US Open. But, with recurrent injuries and a fall in morale, Pouille found himself battling both mental health issues and substance abuse. Gradually, the 29-year-old player stepped out of the spotlight and was nowhere to be seen until now. The French player rejoiced in an emotional moment with his compatriots as he won the first round of the Roland Garros.

After defeating Rafael Nadal in 2016, Lucas Pouille makes a smashing comeback

The French player Lucas Pouille hit the headlines when he reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in 2016. However, his biggest achievement was still to come at the US Open the same year. He took down the Spanish tennis legend in a nerve-wracking five-set match.

However, due to some injuries and consequent fall in morale, Pouille found himself battling mental health issues. But the player proved himself in the ongoing French Open as he defeated Jurij Rodionov to clinch his first win at a Grand Slam event in four years.

While battling with severe depression, the player even started having issues with substance abuse. During last year’s UK Challenger, he confessed, “I was drinking alone and sleeping one hour a night. For my mental health, I stopped tennis.” However, it was his daughter that pulled him out of it. He stated, “The trigger was when I saw a picture of my daughter on my phone – she couldn’t see me like this.”

The constant battle between where he was, where he currently is, and where he wanted to be, made Pouille vulnerable. He added, “It’s horrible because I’m still top 10 in my head! When you see Domi, Stan, I can only imagine what they go through.”

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He further stated, “When you’ve lived such high emotions, it’s hard to start over.” The player even struggled to see his ranking and gradually lost all his sponsors.

A wholesome moment with his countrymen

Pouille had a wholesome moment with his countrymen on the courts of Stade Roland Garros. He sang the French National Anthem after his victory. This was a special moment for the player because he went through severe depression last year and was going to retire from the sport.

The French tennis star will now proceed to play his second-round match at the French Open. Though Rafael Nadal is not going to be in Paris, we will see Pouille making a comeback against other rising players.

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Do you think he can restore his former glory? Let us know your views in the comments below.