Paire: The artistry that sometimes works and sometimes it doesn't

When you watch Benoit Paire play you quickly notices his undeniable talent, from ridiculous drop-shots and forehands to unexpected tweeners, his game has it all. But his mindset is not always in the right place which is why you sometimes have the feeling he would rather be doing anything but playing at the moment.

He spoke about it in a recent feature he did for ATP Uncovered presented by Peugeout saying:

"That’s why I play tennis: to have fun on the court, to enjoy, to try some hot shots."

While his career so far hasn't been what many thought it would be his best year came in 2019. Reflecting on it he said:

"It was a long season, very good for me, two titles. Since this tournament in Marrakech with confidence, with everything, we were able to make a good season. Then a new title in Lyon, so honestly for me, it was a very good season."

Paire is currently ranked 22nd in the world and he has the respect of his peers. Monfils said of Benoit:

"I think he’s great. He’s even better than he thinks he is. I think last year, to get back in great shape and win a lot of matches and actually two titles, I think it was a great achievement."

His journey to tennis started at age six. His father worked in a local club and he would often watch others train. He dreamed about playing professionally. Ultimately he got the opportunity to do so but it wasn't all perfect. Injuries happened which dropped him down to the futures level.

Speaking of that experience he said:

"It’s very important to enjoy when everything is fine on the court. It’s never easy to play tennis for four, five years in a row. After my surgery, in 2015, I had to work a lot to think about what to do to enjoy more on the court, to be calmer, and that’s what I did."

Of his streaky style of play, he said: "Sometimes it’s working, sometimes it’s not. But I will try more for 2020."

Never change Benoit.

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