From our special correspondent,
We prefer to warn the parents, we know a kid who is not going home any time soon. At least not as long as Alex De Minaur is still in the running. Paul, 14 years old, young player from TC Coulommiers (Seine-et-Marne), is experiencing “something that never happens in real life” at this Roland-Garros.
In the space of three days, the little guy became the mascot of the Australian player, who no longer wants to part with him. “I’m going to have to take him everywhere on the circuit now,” laughs De Minaur, winner on Monday of Daniil Medvedev in the round of 16.
Freezing weather and bottle in the sea
The beautiful story began on Saturday, in the rain which rotted for a good part of the afternoon. On court 14, the 11th player in the world fights to escape the clutches of the German Struff. He was barely leading two sets to one when the weather forced the courts to be covered at 1 p.m. It wouldn’t start again until almost five hours later.
That didn’t cool down this young boy who, in the audience, took up his cause. He screams at every point won, at every change of sides, in short he doesn’t let go of it one step. And according to De Minaur, questioned about this improbable support after his victory, it greatly helped him get through it:
“ “From the first stitch to the last, he was screaming. I watched him, I said to myself: but me, even if I was a fan, I would have gone home because it was really super cold on the court. I didn’t understand what this boy was doing. Every time I changed sides, I looked into his eyes, he really gave me life. And at the end, I hugged him. It was relief more than anything else. » »
Ten hours in the stands
It could have ended there, but on reflection, the Australian said to himself that he deserved even more. “He still spent 10 hours in the stands, in the freezing cold, pumping me up,” he says. I gave him my towel. I would have given him everything I had in my bag. I didn’t really think about it with emotion but he deserved everything, the racquets, the shoes, everything he wanted.”
Then De Minaur launches a bottle in the sea on the networks, and with the help of the tournament organization, ends up finding him. The rest is for Paul, who couldn’t escape like that and whom we found, his hero’s cap on his head, in the corridors of the Suzanne-Lenglen court on Monday:
“It was my friend Maxime who showed me the Instagram story. It was incredible, I saw my face in a photo, I couldn’t believe it, I wondered what was happening to me! We responded everywhere, on all accounts, and in the end I received a message from De Minaur directly. He told me “Hi you’re my legend‘Here’s my number’, and that’s how it went.”
New Australian TV star
This is how the teenager from Coulommiers found himself in the Australian’s box to push him against Medvedev. And he enjoyed it, even if he’s more of a stressed type. “Pfff, I couldn’t take it anymore, I was biting my fingers, but as soon as he won it was a huge relief. I screamed again, my voice is gone. » Enough all the same to answer a few questions from the media, including Australian TV, who are looking at this kid who is a fan of one of theirs with curiosity and, let’s say it, a certain disbelief.
Time to answer a question that many are surely asking: but WHY De Minaur? We’ve seen lots of kids shouting for Nadal, Federer, Djoko, all that, but then a young Frenchie who has a passion for De Minaur, especially at Roland, which is clearly not his favorite surface, so there we are amazed. Paul on the microphone: “I mostly saw him on TV in fact, and on Saturday, we were wondering who to go see. We saw him pass and we said to ourselves that we would encourage him. He played well, and that’s it. I call it the wall, it puts everything back, I don’t know how it does it! He’s a monster Alex. »
“His voice is apart, I hear it among the others”
It’s said with such enthusiasm, we won’t judge. And then everyone has their own tastes, eh. In any case, without looking for it, Paul found a great opportunity with Nadal’s winner in Barcelona. Because we don’t know many players who would have reacted like that. After his victory in the round of 16, De Minaur brought his young fan onto the court to share a moment with him. “He is with me, 100%,” he explained afterwards. Even on this big court, he was there, I could hear him. His voice is special, I hear it among the others. »
The worst part is that the connection doesn’t even seem overplayed. It’s just like that. Obviously, Paul is eagerly awaited in the stands on Wednesday, for the first quarter-final of the Australian Porte d’Auteuil, against Zverev or Rune. Before that, he will even go this Tuesday to follow his foal’s training. And school in all this, you say? “Well, it’s the end of the year anyway. I’m staying here,” the boy replies with his machine-gun delivery. We want to reassure everyone that parents are aware. “They told me it was an incredible story, so I should enjoy it. That’s what I do ! » You’re right Paul, what you’re experiencing here are memories for life.