Before definitively embarking on his new coaching career, alongside Benjamin Bonzi, Nicolas Mahut (46 years old) was treated last Saturday in Nanterre to a poignant farewell ceremony. The Angevin, overcome by emotion, admitted afterwards that he had forgotten the speech he had planned to give.
Nicolas Mahut (43 years old) is not about to forget the week he has just experienced at La Paris La Défense Arena, where the first coronation in the Jannik Sinner tournament, the very first edition of the Rolex Paris Masters in Nanterre, was held until last Sunday. First of all, there are his farewells to tennis, after twenty-five years of an incredible career, on one of the annex courts after a final doubles outing alongside Grigor Dimitrov (Editor’s note: Mahut was initially supposed to play the event alongside Novak Djokovic but the latter withdrew) against the Monegasque Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
Two days after bowing out with racket in hand, the tournament organization, led by Cédric Pioline, had concocted a ceremony in tribute to the recently retired man between the two semi-finals. The Angevin admits that he did not expect at all what awaited him when he entered the court. The former world number 1 in doubles was far from imagining that his son Natanel would appear on the giant screen, nor that he would address him with a few well-chosen words. The winner of the 2017 Davis Cup with the Blues, overcome by emotion, forgot the speech he had prepared.
“It was a total surprise (…) My son didn’t tell me anything, nor did my agent. So I arrived on the field without really knowing what was going to happen to me. When I saw that it was my son who was on the big screen and speaking to me, I forgot three quarters of what I wanted to say and who I wanted to thank, because it is a very sensitive subject for me,” explained Sunday evening the five-time Grand Slam winner (in doubles, including two titles at Roland-Garros) at the microphone of Marion Bartoli on RMC Sport. Mahut nevertheless quickly recovered his senses and was able to take advantage of this moment which he will not soon forget, he who believes that he had already “been spoiled” during the last Roland-Garros.
Mahut: “I need to get up for something”
“I was a little disturbed by this ceremony but I was able to close this book and return truly peaceful and above all fulfilled.” The historic partner of Pierre-Hugues Herbert but nevertheless 37th in the world at the height of his career in… singles (Editor’s note: He won four tournaments) is also at the idea of having already “organized his after” and knowing that he will not find himself “on the sofa not knowing what to do”. Benjamin Bonzi’s new trainer, certainly “not always necessarily reassured”, to use his words, admits in fact that he greatly feared “the fear of heights”.
“I need to have a goal and a purpose, and to stand up for something.” Not only will Mahut not get up for nothing, but he will also have a very busy schedule. Between his new role at Bonzi’s bedside (“I’m going to take care of Benjamin, it’s a project that’s close to my heart (…) I’m going to do 25 weeks with him, I think”), his role as consultant for Eurosport and his functions as tournament director in Angers and Rennes, the record holder for the longest match at Wimbledon should not have time to get bored.
