Temperamental player Benoit Paire has begun preparation for the French Open by hiring Boris Vallejo as his coach.
According to his ATP profile, the 32-year-old does not have an official coach at the moment, and has been enlisting the help of his friend and tennis coach Morgan Bourban so far. All that is set to change now as Vellejo takes over the reins.
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“Boris gave me a hand here. He’ll give me another one in Paris, that’s cool,” Paire said after losing a close opening round match 7-6(8), 6-7(5), 4-6 to Dominik Koepfer at the Geneva Open.
“It makes me feel good, it makes me play, it makes me train. I need training and there, tonight, I played two and a half hours, it’s good for the rest.”
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This is not the first time Paire has worked with Vellejo. The French Coach, who has previously worked with the likes of Marin Cilic and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, had accompanied Paire at the French Open last year as well.
Paire’s losing streak
This time around though, Paire is looking for any help he can get to find some motivation and break an unenviable streak.
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So far this season, of the 12 event’s he’s competed in, he’s managed to win just two matches. The World No 36 has been struggling to grapple with the bio-secure bubbles arranged at tournaments, and with a lack of crowds.
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His on-court antics have seen him cop a great deal of criticism, and his behaviour has also prompted the French Federation to ban him from the team that will compete at the Olympics in July.
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He hopes to turn his fortunes with a coach by his side, and with the possibility of crowds watching from the stands at the Paris Grand Slam.
