At Roland Garros,
The pressure eventually caught up with Léolia Jeanjean. The beautiful story of the Frenchwoman, who came back from nowhere after having been a great hope in her youth, ended this Saturday in the third round of Roland-Garros. Beaten in two sets by the Romanian Begu (6-2, 6-4), the 26-year-old player never really got into her match.
“It’s the first time I’ve played on such a big court with so many people. I was maybe a little tense by the event, but she’s a girl who has a more disturbing game than the girls I’ve played against before. When we are a little tense, we make a few more silly mistakes, ”admits the player. However, we believed in a comeback when Jeanjean saved three match points in the second set at 5-1, before missing the boat at 5-4. “I had a small opening that I couldn’t take at 0-30. I would have liked to do better and try to get a 3rd set. But it was an experience that I really enjoyed. The defeat does not make me happy, but I lived the best moment of my life”.
“It’s unlikely what happened”
Besides, what was the player thinking when the entire Lenglen audience chanted her name to encourage her? Totally unknown a few days ago, Léolia Jeanjean has now changed her life. “It’s unlikely what happened. It’s a long road, a life change. A lot of people are starting to talk to me and it makes me feel weird (laughs). It’s almost a career change between the secondary circuit and the incredible conditions of a Grand Slam. And then, it is above all the emotions that have changed enormously. Hearing his name in a full stadium is pure happiness and it’s a moment that I want to relive, ”hopes the player.
Thanks to her performances at Roland-Garros, Léolia Jeanjean will be able to access more prestigious tournaments and improve her standard of living. By reaching the third round of a Grand Slam, the player has already won more than 100,000 euros. A real leap forward for the one who was still at the RSA a few months ago. The Cinderella of Roland-Garros hopes that the fairy tale is only at its beginning.