Benoit Paire is 35 now and ranked 556 but he’s still playing a busy schedule – ten tournaments so far – with the aid of plenty of wildcards into Challenger draws. He’s 6-9 on the year and has earned $14,800.
This year he has played in: New Caledonia, Thailand, Quimper, Montpellier and Lille France, Bahrain, Ivory Coast and Aix-en-Provence. This week he’s in Abbruzzo, Italy on another wildcard and beat Fonio first round, next round will be Skatov.
Once ranked no. 18, Paire has won over $10m in career prize money and won three ATP singles titles but it’s hard to imagine he will ever play in another meaningful match in the ATP.
Some players burn out in their teens, some in their 20s, but it appears the indefatigable Benoit Paire will never burn out from playing tennis.
Steve · May 10, 2025 at 7:58 pm
Really inspiring. Probably the most FRENCH French person in the world. 🙂
He’s been in so many odd matches. Superb backhand and the forehand of a club pro (if that) and an iconic serve motion & beard.
Players That Vanished: Kyle Edmund. A Brit with a monstrous foredhand now ranked 512. Unfortunately he had multiple knee surgeries.
Scoop Malinowski · May 10, 2025 at 8:15 pm
Love Paire as a player, poetry in motion and a character. 18 in the world in his era was excellent. Edmund was playing Challengers last year and I thought into this year too, but marginal success. Maybe he gave up.
Scoop Malinowski · May 10, 2025 at 9:11 pm
Kyle Edmund ended last year on a losing streak in Nov. He just came back in March after 5 months off, in ITF $25ks and lost first round in both to two guys I never heard of, in Antalya. It looks like he’s washed. I saw him at Sarasota and Tallahassee last year and he wasnt a factor.
Steve · May 11, 2025 at 9:03 am
Thanks for the update on Edmund. Just checked, he reached #14 which explains why I would see him on TV all the time for a while.
Ya know the Brits didn’t have a bad crop of players there Edmund, Daniel Evans & Cam Norrie & they play very different games. Now the fearless Fearnley & Draper carry them forward.
Scoop Malinowski · May 11, 2025 at 9:48 am
Also add to the mix of young Brits Charlie Robertson who was a top junior and is now playing college tennis. I saw him play Spizzirri at Sarasota Open 1R and he forced a first set TB, very nice game, Goffin like, small guy who looks 16 or even 14 but he can play. He’s coached by Brian Baker. Here’s some more… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMshz1_ZNx8
Steve · May 12, 2025 at 7:56 pm
Ah Brian Baker…one of your faves.
Scoop Malinowski · May 12, 2025 at 8:41 pm
Baker endured about ten surgeries, was out for like three or four years, came back and actually got to top 40 and reached a final in France on clay and lost to Monfils. Then he came back after another injury setback and then blew out his knee at AO vs Querrey, wheeled off in a wheelchair. He had some doubles success there at the end also. Remarkable resilience how he kept bouncing back after so many bad luck injuries. I remember he played Sarasota Open qualies vs Ryan Sweeting the hot shot young gun. In the warmup Sweeting showed this nonchalant aura like he knew it was gonna be easy and the W was in the bag. Well Baker – his first match in ages – didn’t miss and killed him, total shock upset. 60 10 and then Sweeting just suddenly quit for no reason other than he was getting killed and he could not believe it. That’s my most memorable Baker match.