“We have to shake the coconut tree”, the DTN Nicolas Escudé knocks out French tennis

A flamethrower exit. But at least we can’t blame Nicolas Escudé for hiding behind the five Frenchmen qualified (and eliminated) this year in the third round of Roland-Garros. If the balance sheet is better than last year (zero qualified), the DTN has not paid into the satisfaction.

“We are obviously disappointed not to have a Frenchman in the second week. But it’s complicated right now. A generation is turning the page (Tsonga, Simon). The generation below is marking time. We don’t have Alcaraz today. We have good players but maybe we need to give them a little more time. It is also up to us to make sure that it moves much faster than that, ”explains the former player, who arrived at DTN last year.

“We’re going to have to sweep”

And to speed things up and find results at the highest level, Escudé wants to put a big kick in the anthill of the federation and French training. Where many coaches remain in place without necessarily having results. “Everyone has to take stock of things. It goes from DTN to club teacher. We’re going to have to shake the coconut tree one way or another. We will have to remobilize and sweep. It’s going to be part of the subjects of reflection that we are leading, ”recognizes Escudé.

A major cleaning should therefore soon start on the side of the FFT. But coaches are not the only ones targeted. The players are also in the sights of the DTN. By dint of obtaining wild cards in tournaments without necessarily obtaining results, many hopes have fallen asleep on their laurels.

Players also singled out

“The players also have their share of responsibility. As a federation, we are not here to do social work. We’re not here to help and give a little money if it’s not for performance. It’s simple life in France. You can make a decent living from tennis without having extraordinary goals. But the high level, it must be comfort in the uncomfortable to constantly push its limits. It is a work throughout the year, ”continues the DTN.

To wake everyone up and find results in the short or medium term, several lines of work have started or are in progress, such as in-depth work on early detection in connection with the regional leagues, the reestablishment of a female in Poitiers or train the best young people in the same place. Only time will tell if the federation can quickly catch up with other countries. In view of the current results among the French, it will in any case be complicated to do worse.