Valentin Royer: the French spark that wants to push the top 100
He left Cincinnati with a defeat, but certainly not the low head. In front of Karen Khachanov, 4-6, 6-7, Valentin Royer showed that he had not come to make figures. At the age of 23, the Frenchman is fast approaching the world's top 100 and his ambition does not fit in a simple ATP ranking. She sweats in her words, her eyes and every racquet shot.
A lost match, an intact state of mind
Against Khachanov, this was not the performance of the year, Royer knows. « It wasn't a big game, but many players manage to beat the best competitors », he quits, lucid. No lamentations, just a pragmatic reading. The defeat did not begin, on the contrary. She even seems to have given him more fuel for the rest.
The road to the top 100 has nothing to do with a boulevard. She is littered with hungry players, experiences to cash in and details to refine. But Royer doesn't disassemble: « Right now, I'm not in the top 100, but I'm recruiting someone to be in the top 10. The difference is insignificant. So we'll do a little more work. » One way to say that the border between good and best is crossed with small adjustments, but a great determination.
A clear, almost provocative vision
Valentin Royer is not the kind to hide behind vague goals. He wants to enter the elite and says it straight away: « I see myself mostly in the top 100. I can make someone like Khachanov look boring, but also that a player ranked 30th last year like Sebastian Ofner seems within my reach. »
This insurance is not free fanfare. It is based on a season when the Frenchman has multiplied solid performances, sometimes against better ranked opponents. Royer is not afraid of names, he judges on the game, final point.
A new wind for French tennis
In recent years, tricolor tennis has sometimes seemed to be looking for its replacement. With Royer, he might be holding one of his new faces. Its rapid but built progression and its steel mind make it an inspirational player. Not only the spectators, but also the rising generation that sees him as an example of work and perseverance.
Towards the next chapter
At the gates of the top 100, Royer doesn't just want to come in, he wants to stay there, climb, and impose himself as a name that counts. It is not just a professional ambition: it is a state of mind. The one of a player who believes that each match, whether won or lost, is another step towards its summit.
The Frenchman knows that the season is long, that opportunities win as much as they seize. And seeing his look after Cincinnati, he doesn't intend to let one pass.
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