This is a winning return that pleases. For his first official match since the US Open 2021, Jérémy Chardy beat the Colombian Daniel Galan (70th in the world) 1-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4, in the first round of the Australian Open 2023.
The former world number 25 now without ranking, the 35-year-old Frenchman had not won since the round of 16 of the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021 against Briton Liam Broady. He was then removed from the circuit due to complications related to the Covid vaccinethen had knee surgery in June 2022.
There was necessarily something to be moved for the French, in the post-match conference. “I had a very difficult year and a half, physically, mentally too. It was by far the most difficult period of my career. I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to play tennis again, so being able to be here, in the Grand Slam, on the court, training, playing again, is fun and a bonus, happiness. »
Covid, vaccine, cartilage, The Infernal Trinity
Chardy took the opportunity to come back at some length to the Covid period, which kept him away from the circuits for months. “I had health problems for six months. I had the Covid then, with the vaccines, I don’t know what happened, but I had a lot of worries. Every four to five days, new problems appeared. Pain everywhere, I was ultra-tired, and I didn’t know when it was going to stop. After a few months it was a little better; I tried to play again but I lost a piece of cartilage in my right knee, so I lost eight months again, with the operation. »
In the next round, the Frenchman will face Daniel Evans, seeded n°25. The challenge looks complicated but Chardy is used to surprising. Especially in Melbourne, where he has already reached the quarter-finals.