Alexandre Müller: “I can’t drink more than four sips of water without feeling like I’m going to puke”

À 27 years old, Alexandre Müller is finally playing tournaments on the professional circuit, with encouraging results.

À 27 years old, Alexandre Müller is a special player on the professional tennis circuit. A professional since 2014, he has been hovering around 100th place in the world since April 2023, even climbing to 71st at the start of the year. e 2024. Arrival at maturity Alexandre Müller's late arrival in the ATP tournament can be explained by a difficulty additional é which the native of the Paris region must face. The Frenchman has in fact suffered from Crohn's disease since adolescence. This chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, which affects around 60,000 people in France, is particularly disabling for a high-level athlete.

In an interview grantedé on a daily basis L'Equipe In May 2024, Müller opened up about the difficulties associated with his illness for a professional tennis player. "Before a match, I go to the toilet five, six times at least. When you empty yourself and lose two or three kilos, you leave with a small energy handicap." He also explains not being able to hydrate properly during matches. "After a three-hour match, I can't drink more than four sips of water without feeling like I'm going to puke on “the short one,” he explains. "I have digestion problems, I have reflux. Actually, I don't know what it means to stay hydrated."

This chronic illness necessarily impacts his career. In addition to the difficulties and pain during matches, it also impacts his movements. Its treatment cannot in fact be easily transported, and Müller cannot have it everywhere. “When I go to Australia, I don't take it. Otherwise it's hell." With the risk of having a crisis "l&agrav;, I'm going à direct hospital. I can no longer be here. more than thirty centimeters of toilets. I can't do anything anymore." If Alexandre Müller is more and more regular in his career and progresses in the rankings, there will inevitably regrets "no matter where& ugrave; I will finish my career, I could have done a little better without this illness."

Biographical profile  Alexandre Müller has been in Pisciacais since February 1, 1997. He left the Paris region after his birth to settle in Paris. Aix-en-Provence. It's there that he started  tennis and took his first license. He then moved away. of his family &agrav; at the age of 12 to join the Boulouris center in the Saint-Raphaël district in the south of France. Academically ahead, he was able to concentrate on tennis. The federation, however, decided to take action. to separate from the native of Ile-de-France. He therefore had to join the league of Provence where ù he grew up.  Sophie De Taxis and Romain Bazire would be the two people who gave him back his life. taste ût à this sport which requires considerable mental strength. 

Having re-acquired sufficient confidence to claim to join the professional world, Alexandre Müller was awarded a wild card in 2017  Roland-Garros, his first participation   Porte d'Auteuil. He pushed backé the Parisian lands in 2019.  He also participated in the &agrav; The Australian Open in 2021 reaches the second round. In 2023, he participates in the big four for the first time slams of the season, reaching the third round in Australia, before losing in the first round of Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open respectively to French Open. Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic. Returned in the top 100 for the first time in April 2023, Alexandre Müuml;ller competed in his first Masters 1000 à Rome in 2023 falling to second tour, and discovered Wimbledon the same year. In the challengers on the other hand he experienced more success winning the Blois Internationaux in 2022. This same year, he offered his first singles final on the circuit at the Grand-Prix Hassan II & Marrakech. 

Alexandre Muller has been sailing around the top 100 since he joined it  for the first time on April 10, 2023. Previously, it stagnated for a long time. between 100th and 200th place in the world.