You have a number of impressive sporting achievements to your name – most notably your Masters 1000 title win in Shanghai in 2025. What has changed for you since that historic win?
What has really changed for me is having the opportunity to join the ATP Tour and going from a no. 204 ranking to being ranked no. 40 in the world after my Shanghai run. I knew from that point onwards that I would make the main draw of any tournament I entered – especially as I was able to keep up that momentum with my quarter-final appearance at the Rolex Paris Masters, the final ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season. I have also shown consistency in my performance throughout 2026. Another thing that is changing is my preparation for matches, since I now only face players ranked in the top 50 or top 100 – but so far, I feel that I have done a good job.
What do you consider most important to succeed in the high-pressure world of elite tennis – physical strength, mental agility or rigorous match preparation?
For me, the most important thing is preparing well for an annual tennis season. Physical and mental conditioning are top priorities. If you want to reach the highest possible ranking, you need mental toughness because there are a lot of tournaments – meaning it is very difficult to maintain a consistently high level of play throughout the season without too many drops in performance. You need to be in top physical shape to avoid any injuries at crucial moments, such as during Grand Slams, which is what happened to me after competing in Monte Carlo. I therefore believe that mental and physical strength are equally important.
You come from a tennis “dynasty”: You are coached by your half-brother Benjamin Balleret and famously played and won against your cousin Arthur Rinderknech before claiming your first ATP title. What do you see as the main advantages of working and competing with members of your family?
I would say the main advantages of being part of a tennis family are that you have the chance to travel all year round and see family members regularly across the world. I spend 90% of the year traveling with my brother Benjamin, who is my coach. I see Arthur Rinderknech at 75% of my tournaments now, whereas before, I was chasing after him as I tried to catch up. Since the start of the year, we have played in a lot of tournaments together and I have found that to be a really positive experience.
When you are out on court, how difficult is it to strike a balance between following your instincts when under pressure and heeding the prior advice of your coach?
I think tactics are key throughout a match but at crucial moments, instinct takes over.
Do you already use tech-based tools to improve your game?
I don't necessarily use technology to improve my game but when it comes to enhancing my physical condition and recovery, I sometimes try out new digital tools to help me reach peak physical performance.
In 2025, Wimbledon began using AI technology for line calls rather than waiting for human officials to decide whether a ball was in or out. Do you think AI might also replace human coaches entirely one day?
I don’t honestly think AI will be able to replace human tennis coaches. You need to be aware of the ball and to assess your player’s level of play. That means it will always be difficult for AI to assume a coaching role unless robots evolve significantly but I find it hard to imagine that would happen in the short or medium term.
If the next generation of players does not all have the same access to advanced technology during training, does this create an unfair advantage on court ‒ so that financial resources rather than pure skill become a decisive success factor?
I don’t think we will reach a point where technology will dominate the game of tennis. And hard work will always prevail over talent. That is already the case today, although talent is obviously very important and needs to be combined with intense training. I don’t see how technology could override that.
And finally, you are now Monaco’s highest-ranked professional tennis player in history. What does this achievement mean to you personally?
Being the highest-ranked Monegasque player in history is a source of immense pride for me. I am very happy that I could help to put Monaco on the sports map and show that it is not just a sporting venue with a soccer club and a F1 Grand Prix circuit but is also home to a number of elite athletes, with racing driver Charles Leclerc leading the way.