Face au Belge David Goffin, Benjamin Bonzi a une vraie chance lancer idéalement sa saison. EPA/AAP – MATT TURNER
Thanks to an exceptional end to 2024, Benjamin Bonzi managed to pick up the thread of a catastrophic season. A good omen for the news to come, with the Australian Open starting Monday, January 13 for the Cévenol, against the Belgian David Goffin.
Sometimes, the career of a top tennis player is played out on very little. A piece of line touched by a ball here, a let allowing you to surprise your opponent there, choosing to line up at the last moment on one tournament rather than another… Well Benjamin Bonzi learned this to his great advantage, last November.
While he was initially supposed to play a Challenger in Finland, the native of Nîmes finally chose to line up for the ATP250 tournament in Metz, listening to the advice of one of his coaches, Laurent Raymond.
Result of the races, the Gardois won the first title of his career on the main circuit and returned to the final draw of a Grand Slam at the Australian Open, where he will face the Belgian David Goffin (53rd) in the first round on the night of this Sunday to Monday.
Finishing his season in 75th place, like a phoenix rising from its ashes and the depths of the world rankings, with a worrying 180th place in September, not helped by a wrist more than painful.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000Exceptional end of year
A period that marked the Anduze player like this episode in India, last February. “I forgot to register in the Pune Challenger draw so I have to go through the qualifications and there I tell myself that it should still be ok, he explains, Saturday, from Australia.”
“But I lost against a player who was over 400 and there I am in the hard. I am in the depths of India, in a city where I had reached the final of an ATP250 a year before… So it was a bit violent, I tell myself that there is no point in continuing. But finally the next match I wanted to win.”
The results still took a while to come back. Before arriving from October with only one defeat in 22 matches, two Challenger titles and this historic victory in Metz, after having gone through the qualifications no less.
The trigger through the game
But what was the real trigger for Lionel Zimbler's protégé ? “I don't have a rational explanation in itself, he tries to explain. The rest of the year, I think I played to not lose rather than to win. Then I told myself that the season was dead, that I had done shit. I only had a few weeks left, it couldn't be worse.”
“I said to myself: 'Fuck it, try to play tennis, to find pleasure by bringing madness and creativity,' he continues. So I started to chain a little more at the net, play forward, try more winning and whimsical shots.”
I know I have a window of opportunity to do something nice this season.
The pleasure coming with training and matches, his wrist injury no longer bothering him, it could not be otherwise than this prolific end of the season. “What I am most proud of is having managed to get my head above water, he says. Deep down, I always felt that I was capable of doing good things that it just needed to get back into place.”
The adopted Marseillais will need all of that for this new season. Especially since Bonzi has everything to gain with few or no points to defend throughout 2025. He started with victories in the first rounds of the Adelaide and Brisbane tournaments, before the start of the Australian Open. “It's just a bonus, he smiles. I know I have a window of opportunity to do something nice this season.”
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