WEBVTT - Valentin Vacherot: "I'd rather win Monte Carlo than a Grand Slam" 0:00:01.760 --> 0:00:04.520 Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Sitdown. 0:00:04.880 --> 0:00:07.640 I'm Mattrolope, a rata an editor for oz open dot 0:00:07.640 --> 0:00:08.320 Com and. 0:00:08.280 --> 0:00:12.160 I'm viv Christian, managing editor for Australian Tennis Magazine. And Matt, 0:00:12.160 --> 0:00:14.680 why are we sitting down this week with Bellenton Vashero. 0:00:15.080 --> 0:00:18.400 Well, he was a player obviously that came onto our 0:00:18.520 --> 0:00:21.520 radar late last year at the Shanghai Masters in probably 0:00:21.560 --> 0:00:24.200 what was one of the craziest tennis stories that either 0:00:24.239 --> 0:00:26.720 of us can remember, probably in the sports history. He 0:00:26.760 --> 0:00:29.480 was a qualifier ranked outside the top two hundred, who 0:00:29.520 --> 0:00:32.320 made the main draw and then beat a slew of 0:00:32.360 --> 0:00:36.240 top players, including Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, to arrive 0:00:36.320 --> 0:00:39.040 in a Masters final. And it got even crazier because 0:00:39.080 --> 0:00:42.360 there in the final he met his cousin Arthur Rinderkanesh 0:00:42.400 --> 0:00:45.680 and beat him to become a Masters champion and then 0:00:45.720 --> 0:00:48.519 suddenly was a top forty star. And when we met 0:00:48.600 --> 0:00:51.000 him in Melbourne at the Australian Open, he was a 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:52.880 seated player at a Grand Slam for a first time. 0:00:52.920 --> 0:00:55.760 So it was we had to find out his story. 0:00:55.680 --> 0:00:59.320 And what an incredible tennis fairytale that was. And there's 0:00:59.320 --> 0:01:02.000 so many unlike likely parts to his tennis story. He 0:01:02.040 --> 0:01:04.920 comes from a very connected tennis family. He's one of 0:01:04.959 --> 0:01:07.679 the few players that we know from Monico. And speaking 0:01:07.720 --> 0:01:11.640 of Monico, the Monte Carlo Masters starts this week and 0:01:11.959 --> 0:01:15.640 Valentine revealed something very interesting about that tournament and what 0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:24.720 it means to him. Valentine Measurer, thank you for joining 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:27.200 us on the sit down here at pod laver Arena. 0:01:27.440 --> 0:01:28.920 Is this your first podcast? 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:35.760 No, no, no, no, We wanted it to be good trovers, 0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:36.600 not a few. 0:01:37.760 --> 0:01:41.039 You arrive at Australian Open twenty twenty six in a 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:43.680 very different position than you were at the same time 0:01:43.800 --> 0:01:46.080 last year you were you lost in the second round 0:01:46.120 --> 0:01:48.560 of qualifying and now you're a seated player. 0:01:49.040 --> 0:01:51.800 Must feel very different for you, of course, none of 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:55.160 those for sure. This was my first time here, less. 0:01:55.040 --> 0:02:01.200 Year in the quarters and the I mean, even if 0:02:01.240 --> 0:02:03.040 though he was in a qualities, I had a lot 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:05.800 of fun because it's already really good to be in a qualities. 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:09.519 And yeah, I mean if someone had told me a 0:02:09.600 --> 0:02:12.400 year later I would be back seeded, probably wouldn't have 0:02:12.440 --> 0:02:16.200 believed it. But now I'm here and fully focus on 0:02:16.560 --> 0:02:20.160 my new my new challenges, and everything. 0:02:21.000 --> 0:02:23.760 We know that your tennis career changed a lot last 0:02:23.840 --> 0:02:27.200 year after you won a election shanhaig Masters, but what 0:02:27.360 --> 0:02:29.080 changed for you personally after that? 0:02:30.800 --> 0:02:36.920 Well, personally not much for me. I mean training the 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:37.840 same and everything. 0:02:38.040 --> 0:02:41.880 So of course I had over preseason a little bit 0:02:41.880 --> 0:02:45.760 more stuff to do around the around tennis, but focuses 0:02:46.080 --> 0:02:48.799 tennis is Tennis is number one. It's if I have 0:02:48.960 --> 0:02:54.120 time around tennis, then I can put some some just 0:02:54.480 --> 0:02:56.840 the little things of outside that. Now it's I have 0:02:56.919 --> 0:02:59.760 a bit more stuff to do, especially in Monaco. It's 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:02.799 as countries, so everyone knew that I was going to 0:03:02.880 --> 0:03:05.720 be here for six seven weeks training, so. 0:03:06.840 --> 0:03:10.320 I had a lot of places to go. But it 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:13.720 was fun. It's part of the Journey's part of the 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:14.360 new life. 0:03:15.240 --> 0:03:17.680 We often ask I guess kind of what their goals are, 0:03:17.720 --> 0:03:20.120 and I just wonder, in your case, maybe prior to 0:03:20.160 --> 0:03:23.280 Shanghai or in twenty twenty five, maybe your goals were 0:03:23.520 --> 0:03:25.880 different to what they might be now when you're starting 0:03:25.880 --> 0:03:27.600 the twenty twenty six season. So is that true? Have 0:03:27.680 --> 0:03:30.079 your goals changed at all? And what are they at 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:31.079 this point in your career? 0:03:31.680 --> 0:03:33.520 I mean, of course, I mean when I was ranked 0:03:33.520 --> 0:03:36.600 in Changay two hundred. My goal wasn't I was not 0:03:36.680 --> 0:03:39.280 saying to myself to be top ten or something. It 0:03:39.320 --> 0:03:42.320 was more to be top hundred first, And I mean 0:03:42.360 --> 0:03:44.360 to be honest. When I started chang Gay two four, 0:03:44.440 --> 0:03:47.320 it was already the end of September. Still my goal 0:03:47.400 --> 0:03:49.640 was still to try to be top hundred, and I 0:03:49.720 --> 0:03:51.720 knew I had to win three or four challengers for that. 0:03:52.520 --> 0:03:57.120 Well did it, did it another way, but I don't 0:03:57.120 --> 0:03:59.720 mind it. It's more than okay, And now, of course 0:03:59.760 --> 0:04:03.240 it's way different goals that I put myself. It's not 0:04:03.280 --> 0:04:07.640 about the ranking or anything. It's more yeah, like a 0:04:07.720 --> 0:04:10.320 goal for Grand Slam, go go get a second week 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:13.160 this year. If I can do it here already, then 0:04:13.600 --> 0:04:15.920 that will allow me to put new goals after. 0:04:17.279 --> 0:04:17.960 Goals, like. 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:22.400 Just give even though before it was the same give 0:04:22.400 --> 0:04:24.680 one hundred percent, but I feel like even more now. 0:04:24.920 --> 0:04:27.360 Just try to give like one hundred and ten percent. 0:04:27.440 --> 0:04:30.279 Every match is to get as many win as possible 0:04:30.360 --> 0:04:35.080 throughout the season, because sometimes you might play good and 0:04:35.120 --> 0:04:37.760 lose because everyone is even better. 0:04:37.640 --> 0:04:40.200 Now at the level I'm at. 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:43.080 So it was more about like the mental part, like 0:04:43.120 --> 0:04:45.760 to be one hundred percent, focus mentally on every single 0:04:45.800 --> 0:04:50.760 of the matches, and then the ranking will follow or not, 0:04:51.040 --> 0:04:54.880 and this will see and then of course try to go. Yeah, 0:04:54.880 --> 0:04:58.200 another big one is to try to go get another title. Whatever, 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:00.720 if it's an AHP to fifty five hundred, I don't care, 0:05:00.880 --> 0:05:01.760 just get another one. 0:05:03.120 --> 0:05:06.080 But yeah, yeah, how on that. You are playing a 0:05:06.080 --> 0:05:08.640 different kind of caliber or category of opponent now, and 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:11.600 just everything about your career trajectory has changed. The tournament 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:13.520 you can enter has changed. Your direct entry here in 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:17.719 your seed, your schedule probably changes now because your ranking 0:05:17.720 --> 0:05:20.440 puts you in a different place. So adjusting to that 0:05:20.560 --> 0:05:23.120 change in these opportunities for you. And yeah, this high 0:05:23.160 --> 0:05:24.960 level of opponent you play week in week, how has 0:05:25.000 --> 0:05:27.360 that been to adjust to since October? 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:31.839 Well, I think, I mean after Shanghai, I just did 0:05:31.839 --> 0:05:35.680 pretty well. Also, in which is good is that I 0:05:35.720 --> 0:05:38.839 had the chances to play in Basil in Paris they 0:05:38.920 --> 0:05:41.280 allowed me to play, giving me wild cards because the 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:44.960 least were already out after Shanghai, but they allowed me 0:05:45.040 --> 0:05:47.359 to play. I gave a good fight in Shanghai. In 0:05:47.440 --> 0:05:51.280 Basil against Fritz, lost three dy clause and then won 0:05:51.360 --> 0:05:53.640 three more matches in Paris made it to a quarterfinal, 0:05:53.760 --> 0:05:57.400 and I think that helped, just putting the let's say 0:05:57.400 --> 0:06:01.520 the base in my head because of course, hi, yeah 0:06:01.560 --> 0:06:05.920 I did it. I won the Tournament's it's amazing, but 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:08.440 some can say, okay, it was like a fairy tale week. 0:06:08.600 --> 0:06:10.839 It was just everything was going my way. But just 0:06:10.880 --> 0:06:13.800 to do it again, play good matches also in two 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:17.599 other places afterward helped me can be like, Okay, now 0:06:17.640 --> 0:06:19.839 this is my level. I've done it for a few 0:06:19.839 --> 0:06:23.600 tournaments and gave me even more confidence going to this 0:06:23.680 --> 0:06:27.400 year because you can show some people are like, okay, 0:06:27.520 --> 0:06:30.120 is it going to hold up? Is he going to 0:06:30.200 --> 0:06:32.560 hold up this year as well? And everything? And me 0:06:32.640 --> 0:06:36.320 I think, I mean, I gave myself the answer is 0:06:36.880 --> 0:06:39.800 already and now it's just yeah about playing all those 0:06:39.800 --> 0:06:41.640 matches one hundred and in person and then we'll do 0:06:41.720 --> 0:06:43.839 the count at the at the end of the season. 0:06:43.920 --> 0:06:48.440 Yeah, I'm switching gears a little bit. Tell us about 0:06:48.480 --> 0:06:50.920 your start in tennis. 0:06:50.760 --> 0:06:53.440 Uh, well, my star was really easy. My whole family 0:06:53.480 --> 0:06:57.200 plays tennis, so basically born basically born with a racket. 0:06:57.279 --> 0:07:01.680 So now, yeah, I was just you know, I think 0:07:01.720 --> 0:07:04.919 whenever I was what four or five years old, or 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:05.800 just playing with my. 0:07:07.160 --> 0:07:09.320 With my parents and everything. 0:07:09.400 --> 0:07:13.000 And then lealilu by a little playing my first tournament 0:07:13.040 --> 0:07:18.720 at like what maybe nineteen years old, having a bit 0:07:18.960 --> 0:07:22.440 like more of like a setup practices at eleven twelve 0:07:22.560 --> 0:07:24.760 years old, because I was starting to I was playing 0:07:25.320 --> 0:07:29.160 a little bit decent, and yeah, just then after just 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:33.360 started to grow a bit and blia and. 0:07:33.040 --> 0:07:35.720 As I understand that that start was in Monte Carlo, 0:07:35.800 --> 0:07:38.520 which also has the Monte Carlo Masters, which is one 0:07:38.560 --> 0:07:41.240 of the most beautiful tournaments in the world. Did that 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:42.520 inspire you as well? 0:07:42.840 --> 0:07:44.760 Yeah, one hundred percent. It was my favorite week of 0:07:44.800 --> 0:07:46.880 the year. That's all I was waiting for, was for 0:07:46.960 --> 0:07:52.280 the tournament. My coach who's my brother, was playing. Back 0:07:52.320 --> 0:07:54.600 in the day, I was mostly ranked all of his 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:59.400 carrier around the two hundred, but since Hiss from an 0:07:59.440 --> 0:08:01.800 Aqua as well was getting a world card every year, 0:08:01.880 --> 0:08:04.960 so I was allowing me to watch him play there 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:08.040 or so, and uh, yeah, that was generally my. 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:09.680 Favorite week of the year. I was waiting for that. 0:08:09.720 --> 0:08:11.840 I was praying that it was going to be during 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:14.680 vacation so I didn't have any problem to go from 0:08:14.960 --> 0:08:19.440 nine am to to seven pm on site. And watch 0:08:19.440 --> 0:08:23.880 every single match as possible, catch every autograph possible, and 0:08:23.880 --> 0:08:28.360 and yeah, of course that's why it's weird. But I 0:08:28.520 --> 0:08:32.360 rather win Motecalo than a Grand Slam if I could, 0:08:32.440 --> 0:08:36.800 to be honest, like it's maybe number one Motekaalo and 0:08:36.840 --> 0:08:40.320 then rather let's say one person under all the Grand Slams. 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:43.600 But of course I wouldn't mind winning her Grand Slam. 0:08:43.679 --> 0:08:47.000 But yeah, yeah, that just really special is the club 0:08:47.040 --> 0:08:48.720 that I've always been playing tennising. 0:08:48.840 --> 0:08:50.040 So yeah, were there. 0:08:50.040 --> 0:08:53.560 Any particular years or players that you remember saying that? 0:08:53.960 --> 0:08:56.880 Uh, well, I remember two thousand and six really well. 0:08:56.960 --> 0:09:00.559 My my my brother made from qualified to Run of 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:03.959 sixteen and played the played Roger Federer in the Run 0:09:04.000 --> 0:09:07.200 of sixteen in two thousand and six. That's when Roger 0:09:07.320 --> 0:09:10.840 was basically owning tennis at that moment. And that's why 0:09:10.880 --> 0:09:12.680 that was the age I was seven eight years old. 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:16.000 So I grew up when like those those years when Roger, 0:09:16.080 --> 0:09:17.400 as I said, was owning tennis. 0:09:17.440 --> 0:09:19.080 So that's why he is my adult for me. 0:09:19.840 --> 0:09:24.720 And Roger gave his headband and raisband to my brother 0:09:24.800 --> 0:09:28.240 and gave it to me. Unfortunately, now, I mean Roger 0:09:28.320 --> 0:09:30.960 asked me in Shanghai. If I knew I was the 0:09:31.720 --> 0:09:34.160 because you remember that story, if I knew it was 0:09:34.240 --> 0:09:36.719 the risband and the headband, and I said, okay, it 0:09:36.840 --> 0:09:39.880 was a few years. A fewears has passed and my 0:09:39.960 --> 0:09:41.719 room has changed a lot, so I don't know where 0:09:41.760 --> 0:09:45.920 it is anymore. Somewhere, Yeah, if I give it a 0:09:46.000 --> 0:09:49.080 good look, I could find it. But well, yeah, so 0:09:49.120 --> 0:09:54.080 there was there was that year of course, then I 0:09:54.080 --> 0:09:59.560 think maybe I think it's maybe the first year tw 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:04.640 six where I watched Djokovic played when you arrived and 0:10:04.840 --> 0:10:06.600 played you. I think you played for the air first 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:09.440 round or something like that. That's when you arrived. And 0:10:09.480 --> 0:10:12.120 then all those years watching Rafa, when back to back 0:10:12.160 --> 0:10:14.760 to Baka, starting to oh on the bid the world 0:10:14.760 --> 0:10:18.640 of Tennis on clay, and then no, just not one 0:10:19.160 --> 0:10:22.679 specific here. I mean then of course twenty twenty two, 0:10:22.720 --> 0:10:24.360 sorry to the first time that I got to play, 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:26.880 I go to work card into the qualifying those very special, 0:10:27.440 --> 0:10:29.679 but then just every time it was just really really 0:10:29.720 --> 0:10:31.640 cool to watch and. 0:10:31.640 --> 0:10:33.560 It looks very beautiful on screening. I think it's on. 0:10:35.160 --> 0:10:36.560 The most beautiful one. Yeah. 0:10:36.640 --> 0:10:40.760 Yes, before you went in Shanghai, you had many years 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:43.880 obviously on the Challenger circuit and there are inevitable challenges 0:10:44.520 --> 0:10:47.280 in your inner place career and it. Players talk a 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:49.400 lot about the grind of being on the Challenger circuit. 0:10:49.640 --> 0:10:51.320 How was that experience for you and what did you 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:54.120 kind of learn about yourself in that time. 0:10:55.160 --> 0:10:58.360 The thing is that, yeah, you can, you can call 0:10:58.400 --> 0:11:00.480 it a grind in Challengers if you But I think 0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:03.320 it's a grind because. 0:11:04.720 --> 0:11:06.200 Everyone is just so good. 0:11:06.360 --> 0:11:08.840 Everyone is really good, and there's not one easy matches 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:11.880 and Challengers that's why it's so hard and it's so 0:11:11.920 --> 0:11:14.559 hard to just get through. I think the biggest grind 0:11:14.600 --> 0:11:17.839 is before that. It's in it's in futures. If if 0:11:17.840 --> 0:11:19.800 you can just for first of all, get out, get 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:22.200 out of the ifs as quick as possible, that's that's 0:11:22.240 --> 0:11:25.120 the best. Because this is the real jungle and grind. 0:11:25.520 --> 0:11:28.400 When you get to Challengers, you start to play in 0:11:28.640 --> 0:11:32.839 actually like really nice clubs, really nice tournaments, you get 0:11:32.840 --> 0:11:38.640 the hotel paid for, it's usually in decent cities, and 0:11:39.559 --> 0:11:42.920 so Challengers is tough to call it a grind. I 0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:44.400 think it's more of a grind on the on the 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:47.040 court because it's really the level is almost as. 0:11:46.880 --> 0:11:51.200 Hard as in the top hundred and so yeah. 0:11:51.240 --> 0:11:53.840 Always good is that I got all of the futures 0:11:53.880 --> 0:11:57.520 is pretty pretty quickly and probably less than a year 0:11:57.600 --> 0:12:01.920 when I started on tour. And yeah, then I played 0:12:02.000 --> 0:12:08.360 Challengers all the time until Shanghai, except when I sticked 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:12.000 in and a few qualities of ATP to fifties before 0:12:12.040 --> 0:12:14.640 getting hurt, I started to get in qualities of one 0:12:14.679 --> 0:12:19.520 master of one thousand. But yeah, I think Challengers is 0:12:19.600 --> 0:12:22.920 just another level just for the players you play, and 0:12:22.960 --> 0:12:25.199 everyone is just so hungry to get past the challengers 0:12:25.200 --> 0:12:27.319 who go on the big tour that that's what makes 0:12:27.360 --> 0:12:27.880 it really hard. 0:12:27.960 --> 0:12:29.160 Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. 0:12:29.559 --> 0:12:31.960 Another part of your story is that you come through 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:34.920 the US college system and that's becoming, i think increasingly 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:36.800 a part why a lot of players have success with 0:12:37.080 --> 0:12:38.839 and the careers are longer now so you don't have 0:12:38.880 --> 0:12:42.120 to go pro as fast. How is the college experience 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:43.600 for you and do you think it's helped you to 0:12:43.600 --> 0:12:44.440 get where you are now? 0:12:44.559 --> 0:12:44.760 Yeah? 0:12:44.800 --> 0:12:45.800 It was amazing. 0:12:45.840 --> 0:12:48.600 I mean I had a very different path from like 0:12:48.640 --> 0:12:50.960 twelve th twenteen years old. I never were I never 0:12:51.080 --> 0:12:53.520 was homeschooled. I went to normal school all the time. 0:12:53.600 --> 0:12:56.480 I wasn't in a. I had a decent level, but 0:12:56.800 --> 0:12:59.240 more around like sixteen, seventeen and eighteen towards the end 0:12:59.600 --> 0:13:03.880 before it was harder for me. But I think going 0:13:04.160 --> 0:13:06.760 at eighteen was never really an option for me, even 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:09.040 though I think I had that the descent ranking at eighteen, 0:13:09.080 --> 0:13:11.360 I was already maybe seven hundred and fifty or something. 0:13:11.360 --> 0:13:14.160 I had a few points. But going to college was normal. 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:16.160 I joined the I joined my cousin that was there, 0:13:16.280 --> 0:13:20.880 Arthur Rendergnink. It was just really easy to make the 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:23.080 decision because he's already been there for three years. He 0:13:23.160 --> 0:13:25.480 was already getting better. He told me, like how good 0:13:26.240 --> 0:13:30.640 Steve then turned and Kevin Oche the coaches in Texas anymore. So, Yeah, 0:13:30.679 --> 0:13:31.680 it was easy choice for me. 0:13:32.080 --> 0:13:35.960 Okay, As you mentioned earlier, your idol growing up was 0:13:36.040 --> 0:13:38.840 Roger Federer. What was it like meeting him last year. 0:13:38.720 --> 0:13:41.280 In Schinha, Yeah, No, it was. It was super nice. 0:13:41.960 --> 0:13:45.000 It's pretty funny because he was there for like the 0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:48.160 whole second week, I think, And it took me maybe 0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:50.640 it took me four days to cross him, Like you know, 0:13:51.240 --> 0:13:53.200 it took me four days to cross him. I just 0:13:53.280 --> 0:13:56.520 maybe my girlfriends i've seen him crossed him maybe ten 0:13:56.559 --> 0:14:00.199 times before me. I actually crossed him once. That's pretty fun. Know, 0:14:00.240 --> 0:14:03.640 I was getting mad at that, so went finally I 0:14:03.720 --> 0:14:05.640 saw him. It was great, and then we had the 0:14:06.559 --> 0:14:08.800 He stayed for the I think he watched me maybe 0:14:08.800 --> 0:14:11.520 semi final and final, and then stayed for the for 0:14:11.600 --> 0:14:13.840 the celebrations after so and then I got to speak 0:14:14.440 --> 0:14:16.559 a little while with him, and yeah, it was very special, 0:14:16.559 --> 0:14:18.200 of course he was really he was really cooler. 0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:22.400 Now that a little time has passed since you had 0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:25.120 that incredible run in Shanghai, and you know it's called 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:27.560 a fairy tale, how how do you look back on 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:29.600 it now? 0:14:29.640 --> 0:14:32.000 I mean sometimes I still pinch myself to see if 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:33.040 it was a bit real, you know. 0:14:35.160 --> 0:14:36.920 I mean I try to just not. 0:14:36.960 --> 0:14:40.080 Forget all the just all the images that in my 0:14:40.120 --> 0:14:43.680 head that happened over there. It was a little bit, 0:14:43.800 --> 0:14:45.840 let's say, like a little apparentheses in my life. 0:14:45.840 --> 0:14:49.680 I mean, it was just start to even believe sometimes 0:14:49.680 --> 0:14:52.280 that it was real. Uh. 0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:56.720 But I tried to just not also think about it 0:14:57.400 --> 0:15:01.520 all the time and stuff, because it's I'm not saying 0:15:01.640 --> 0:15:04.040 like for my tennis, yes, it was an amazing example 0:15:04.160 --> 0:15:07.600 for how I played, how balald and and everything, but 0:15:07.720 --> 0:15:12.080 also just getting back on earth and just now this 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:14.720 is my place, this is why I belong and try 0:15:14.760 --> 0:15:18.760 to like gradually keep keep climbing and see where I 0:15:18.800 --> 0:15:22.840 can end up by the end. And but of course 0:15:24.200 --> 0:15:26.880 this probably took the It is probably the Besos two 0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:29.440 weeks are the base of hopefully a second huge part 0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:30.040 of my of. 0:15:29.920 --> 0:15:30.600 My care area. 0:15:31.840 --> 0:15:35.480 You you have achieved so many firsts for Monaco tennis. 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:38.760 Does does that come with I mean, of course it's 0:15:38.880 --> 0:15:41.960 very proud, it must be very proud. But any pressure 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:42.680 as well. 0:15:43.560 --> 0:15:50.360 Now zero because uh, pride, yes, of course, Because I 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:55.240 mean probably people see Monaco as just this little area 0:15:55.320 --> 0:15:58.960 where there's money and everything and it's just about going 0:15:58.960 --> 0:16:02.120 there to go to the beach and play casino. But 0:16:03.080 --> 0:16:07.120 it's such a small country and what they do, what 0:16:07.240 --> 0:16:10.160 we do for sport is amazing. And now we have 0:16:10.200 --> 0:16:12.480 a few athletes at really high level of their sport 0:16:12.600 --> 0:16:16.280 with La Cleric in f one, myself in tennis, and 0:16:16.320 --> 0:16:21.360 we have also others pushing in different sports and that's 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:24.760 amazing because it's so small. There's only nine ten thousand 0:16:24.840 --> 0:16:30.040 people actually from Monaco, and yeah, there's just full on, 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:33.240 full on pride and I'm so happy to let's say, 0:16:33.240 --> 0:16:37.160 put Monaco with also romainu Go or to doubles players 0:16:37.160 --> 0:16:39.720 that are also in the top fifty to them. So 0:16:39.800 --> 0:16:45.800 now even three like up there in the rankings and 0:16:46.320 --> 0:16:49.680 we're able to be all here together in tournaments. Now 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:51.720 it was more about me joining them since they were 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:58.840 already playing like better tournaments than me in doubles. And yeah, 0:16:58.880 --> 0:17:01.160 and now it's cool because he is really really the 0:17:01.160 --> 0:17:04.920 first woman where our Taviska coach is also here and 0:17:04.960 --> 0:17:07.320 it's generally the whole the whole team here, so it's 0:17:07.400 --> 0:17:11.359 it's it's really cool. And uhid, just more like I 0:17:11.400 --> 0:17:12.280 said this way. 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:16.040 You alluded to your brother before your tennis family. That 0:17:16.160 --> 0:17:19.600 story was massive playing in the final of Shanghai and 0:17:19.640 --> 0:17:21.680 being your cousin. We also found out that Chloe Pake 0:17:22.000 --> 0:17:24.880 is your cousin, and Benjamin Balaray your coach. Is he 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:26.719 uncle a cousin? 0:17:27.200 --> 0:17:31.160 What is my brother? And is Arthur's cousin? Yeah, it's 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:33.920 just Arthur's Arthur's mom and my mom my sisters. 0:17:34.040 --> 0:17:34.280 Right. 0:17:35.200 --> 0:17:38.919 Chloe kloy Is is the daughter of my mom's cousin. 0:17:39.280 --> 0:17:42.439 So she's like a second But this is like a 0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:45.080 tennis dynasty this family is amazing, but not that's not 0:17:45.119 --> 0:17:47.520 common in professional tennis. Certainly, lots of families player, but 0:17:47.600 --> 0:17:48.199 this is amazing. 0:17:48.280 --> 0:17:48.439 Is that? 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:51.560 What's that been like? To have so many tennis connections 0:17:51.560 --> 0:17:52.560 in your own family? 0:17:52.600 --> 0:17:53.240 It's unique? 0:17:53.840 --> 0:17:56.280 Yeah, it's unique, and it's good because there's also there's 0:17:56.280 --> 0:17:58.480 always going to be someone in your family that's around 0:17:58.520 --> 0:18:02.119 your level, so there's nothing to just be too proud about. 0:18:04.040 --> 0:18:06.800 The leading partners all the time. I guess, yeah, I 0:18:06.840 --> 0:18:08.800 mean to be just too bit too proud. But when 0:18:08.840 --> 0:18:11.119 I was two hundred, my only goal was to just 0:18:11.480 --> 0:18:13.760 try to catch up Arthur, to be with him more 0:18:13.920 --> 0:18:17.879 first of all, and uh, to be just where it 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:19.959 was because it's been in the top hundred for for 0:18:20.000 --> 0:18:23.520 so long now and now I finally finally did it 0:18:23.560 --> 0:18:25.600 and we're together, so it's really cool. And then all 0:18:25.640 --> 0:18:28.359 of the family to just come and watch us play 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:29.280 the same place. 0:18:29.440 --> 0:18:31.159 Now, so this you're easy. 0:18:31.080 --> 0:18:32.399 And you're playing doubles together. 0:18:32.640 --> 0:18:38.880 Yes we lost yesterday, but no described but that's still 0:18:38.920 --> 0:18:40.880 cool that you complain, so again, no, no, no, yeah, that's 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:41.200 the goal. 0:18:41.240 --> 0:18:43.680 And now we're here and we play for fun doubles 0:18:43.720 --> 0:18:45.679 and the only one we want to have fun, and 0:18:45.720 --> 0:18:47.800 we're going to play in a few in a few 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:51.679 tournaments over the year, but really just to just not 0:18:51.800 --> 0:18:54.560 bother mentally or what we've doubles, just really just to 0:18:54.720 --> 0:18:57.480 have fun and and keep on the competition. 0:18:57.560 --> 0:18:58.680 Let's say, in between singles. 0:18:59.280 --> 0:19:01.400 Must be be really nice for you to be able 0:19:01.400 --> 0:19:03.000 to spend time together at tournaments. 0:19:03.280 --> 0:19:05.440 Yeah, finally, I mean I've been trying to catch him, 0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:08.400 trying to get up with him for so many years. 0:19:08.440 --> 0:19:10.919 He's been putting the bar pretty high for me. But 0:19:11.760 --> 0:19:12.920 finally I'm with him. 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:13.000 You. 0:19:13.680 --> 0:19:16.800 So, I guess you've been very generous with the time, Valentine. 0:19:16.840 --> 0:19:20.600 We appreciate it. Just to kind of tie it up 0:19:20.640 --> 0:19:23.080 and look ahead to twenty twenty six for you, where 0:19:23.359 --> 0:19:25.359 is your schedule going? Where is your schedule taking you? 0:19:25.440 --> 0:19:27.919 And are there any players now that you're at this 0:19:28.000 --> 0:19:30.080 level in the game you've never faced before that you 0:19:30.119 --> 0:19:32.520 would you'd like to challenge yourself against. 0:19:32.680 --> 0:19:38.840 I think Dan's really easy, Yeah, Nick Ciner Karaz, any 0:19:38.880 --> 0:19:41.760 guys in the top top ten of five, you want 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:45.040 to play them just to see how it is and 0:19:45.280 --> 0:19:48.199 to see how you are where your game is at 0:19:48.240 --> 0:19:51.200 that moment, just to compare yourself a bit to them 0:19:51.240 --> 0:19:53.760 and see what you can do better, what you're doing good, 0:19:53.800 --> 0:19:57.280 what's working, what's not working against the best of the sport. 0:19:58.520 --> 0:20:02.399 I had a chance to play or Kovich in Shanghai, 0:20:03.200 --> 0:20:08.960 Tito Fritz in Basel, Felix in Paris. I already played 0:20:08.960 --> 0:20:12.080 a few, but I mean, we can say that Yannick 0:20:12.160 --> 0:20:13.960 and Carlos are a little bit in a different league 0:20:14.000 --> 0:20:16.600 right now, or it will be really cool anytime soon 0:20:16.680 --> 0:20:19.320 if I can play one of them amazing. 0:20:19.480 --> 0:20:22.439 Well, we hope to see that as well. Thank you 0:20:22.480 --> 0:20:25.080