Diminished by a knee injury that he failed to resolve, Jérémy Chardy (36) decided to end his career at the end of Wimbledon. The Pau, ex 25th in the world, will (probably) play his last match in singles against world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, before extending the doubles tournament.
“It’s a special week for me,” he said at the microphone of Fabrice Abgrall of France Info. Playing against him, here, at home, in London where I live… This is my last singles tournament. It started a bit here, I won in juniors, I didn’t play Roland to try to prepare for here. I have my whole family coming, I’m playing against the world No. 1 on one of the most beautiful courts… It will be a great end no matter what. It is a reward after all efforts. If this is the last match, it will be a chance to live this last experience. After the difficult period that happened to me, I did not want to stop outside the court. I went into fight mode to try to come back and try to play again. It’s not perfect. There are more days when it’s hard than days when I’m having fun. I will try to give my all. I wanted to end here. I am happy. »
Only three tournaments since January
Knee operated on June 7, 2022, he had not played again since a defeat in the 1st round at Flushing Meadows against Matteo Berrettini in August 2021 after some physical glitches. Having become coach of Ugo Humbert, whom he helped to re-enter the top 50, the Palois had resumed training to play again at the Australian Open last January where he beat the Colombian Daniel Galan in the first round. Since then, he had been able to play only three tournaments, in Madrid, Rome and Queens, without winning a match.
Turning pro in 2005, the Pau puncher, endowed with a piercing forehand, and above all praised for his great availability and kindness, will have won a title during his career, on the clay courts of Stuttgart in 2009. In Grand Slam, he reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in 2013. He also played in five Davis Cup matches.
