À  Yaoundé  visit us at the  Cameroon , as part of an unusual event surrounding the record attempt  Paul Atanga Nji Cameroonian Minister of the Interior,  Younes El Aynaoui  reunited with several former tennis stars to participate in an extraordinary physical challenge. The former  14rd player in the world , quarter-finalist in Grand Chelem and a member of the great Moroccan generation with  Hicham Arazi  et  Karim alami , looks back on this experience, his career, the  Davis Cup Moroccan tennis, his legendary match against  Andy Roddick , but also his perspective on the  paddle  and about his son, now a footballer at the AS Rome .

"I'd never seen anything like it on a tennis court."

 Franck Binisti:  Younes, before we talk about your career, how did you experience those three days in Cameroon, with that match against Minister Paul Atanga Nji?

 Younes El Aynaoui:  It was a rather unusual challenge. Personally, I had never seen anything like it before on a tennis court.

He tried to play as long as possible, more than  four hours Without sitting down, without drinking. I was happy to be invited to participate in this event. It was very jovial, very friendly. We took turns playing competitive sets against him.

We were all impressed that he was able to keep going, because we ourselves, with the heat and the conditions, were struggling to play three sets.

Younes El Aynaoui: "In Morocco, we hope to soon find a player who will shine in Grand Chelem »

"This kind of event is relaxing."

 Question:  We also saw you in the stands, notably with Yannick Noah, cheering, encouraging, sometimes even coaching. That's unusual, and all the better for it?

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Absolutely. Tennis is a very demanding, very serious sport. We're used to tournaments where concentration is at its peak.

When you participate in events like this, you can be on a court, hitting balls, but also feel more relaxed. It's restful, it's enjoyable.

Now that we're retired, we can finally enjoy these kinds of events. Perhaps that's what we missed before, when everything was much more competitive.

Younes El Aynaoui: "In Morocco, we hope to soon find a player who will shine in Grand Chelem Yannick Noah

"Karim and Hicham and I experienced some wonderful moments."

 Question:  Today, when we talk about you, we inevitably think of that Moroccan trilogy with  Karim alami  et  Hicham Arazi What do people associate you with most?

 Younes El Aynaoui:  It's true that the early 2000s were a great time. The three of us found ourselves in the  world top 50 . In  Davis Cup We played against France, we beat Italy, we beat England. We experienced some very great matches.

Tennis has a long history in Morocco. There is an ATP tournament, which is celebrating its  40e edition When we were young, we were lucky enough to see great champions come and play in Morocco. That was very important to us.

There was also television. The victory of  Yannick Noah  In 1983, it made us all dream. We were 12 or 13 years old and we got it into our heads that we wanted to become professional players.

"It wasn't easy to make people understand this dream."

 Younes El Aynaoui:  At the time, it wasn't easy. There had never really been any Moroccan professional players before us. We had to explain this project to parents, sponsors, and everyone who could help in a career.

But we were proud of what we did. We've maintained a very good relationship with Karim and Hicham. We still see each other regularly today. We had some wonderful times together in  Davis Cup  and on the track.

Today, getting together with my friends and clowning around on the field again is a pleasure.

"We've always stuck together."

 Question:  Hicham was just talking about you as his tennis brothers…

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Yes, they are brothers connected through tennis.

When you're a professional player, you travel a lot. Karim, Hicham, and I had roughly the same schedules and rankings. So we spent a lot of time together abroad.

It's really when you travel that you get to know your friends, when you're far from home. We always stuck together, we always encouraged each other.

Today, when we spend evenings together, we inevitably reminisce about many memories from all those years spent traveling the world around tennis courts.

"Our regret is that we never made it past the round of the World Group."

 Question:  In the Davis Cup, with the team you had, is there not a small regret left?

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Yes, of course. Our only regret is never having taken a turn in the  global group .

We've often qualified, but we've lost against strong teams: Argentina with  Guillermo Coria  et  David Nalbandian Brazil with  Gustavo kuerten , France with  Guy Forget ,  Arnaud Boetsch ,  Cedric Pioline ...

We had the ranking to aim for better, but you also need a bit of luck, a bit of fate. And we often faced top seeds.

But we gave them a run for their money. We lost 3-2 against Spain, 3-2 against France. We made them doubt themselves. For us, that was already huge, even if we always wanted more.

Younes El Aynaoui: "In Morocco, we hope to soon find a player who will shine in Grand Chelem »

"The Moroccan public became interested in tennis thanks to this generation."

 Younes El Aynaoui:  What's important is that people in Morocco have become interested in tennis. From there, we always hope that other young people will take up the torch.

 Question:  Today, the best Moroccan player is ranked beyond 300th or 400th in the world. Was your generation an anomaly?

 Younes El Aynaoui:  No, I don't think so. All the conditions are in place to play tennis in Morocco. There are plenty of courts, a favorable climate, very little rain, so you can play outside all year round.

But we know how difficult it is to bring a player into the  world top 100 Even federations that invest heavily struggle to achieve this.

Today, there are young people showing encouraging signs. There are so many criteria to meet to break into the top 100.

There was one player who climbed to around 140th or 150th place, but never higher. Now, there are 19-year-olds around 400th place.  Hicham Arazi  He is part of the Federation's organizational chart, he is also captain of  Davis Cup We hope that his advice will bear fruit.

"I have always remained involved in Moroccan tennis."

 Question:  Can we see you again one day alongside the Moroccan Tennis Federation?

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Whether directly or indirectly, I have always been involved in tennis. I have always advised young people, families, and players who want to start a professional career.

It would be a joy to be able to get more involved. I did it with the  French Federation  For two years, I also worked at  Qatar , then privately with  Hugo gaston  on the circuit.

Morocco has all the conditions for playing tennis. We're not far from Europe for playing tournaments. It's a strategic location. I really hope that one day, another Moroccan player will shine in Grand Chelem as Hicham, Karim and I were able to do.

"At 17, I was a nobody."

 Question:  Let's go back to your beginnings. You left Morocco quite early?

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Yes. I was born in  Discount My father is Moroccan, my mother is French, originally from Dordogne, in the Périgord noir.

At 17, I left for  Bordeaux  , at the regional sports-study program. I trained with  Ronald Agenor .  Yahiya Doumbia  was there too. Cédric Pioline also trained in Bordeaux at one point.

It was a bit of a crazy dream because at 17, I didn't really have the skill level to hope to become a good player. I was ranked zero, which is really bad at that age. Many others were already professionals.

Younes El Aynaoui: "In Morocco, we hope to soon find a player who will shine in Grand Chelem »
Younes El Aynaoui: "In Morocco, we hope to soon find a player who will shine in Grand Chelem »

"I was behind schedule, but the desire was there."

 Younes El Aynaoui:  I was behind, clearly. But the desire was there. I made my way up. At the time, there were satellite circuits. We picked up little points here and there.

The fact that Karim and Hicham were also in the running helped me a lot. It was healthy competition, very encouraging.

At first, I was the one who achieved the best results. Then Karim overtook me, then I caught up with him.

"I wasn't good at all as a junior."

 Younes El Aynaoui:  As a junior, I wasn't good at all. But once I moved up to the senior level, the slate was wiped clean.

I've made up some lost time. My progress has been rapid: from zero, I went up to -30, then I got a wildcard at the  Hassan II Trophy I had beaten  Thomas pattern who was at the time a formidable clay court player.

 Question:  How do you explain this shift?

 Younes El Aynaoui:  I think it's related to my growth. Today, I'm 1,93 m tall. I've grown a lot and, when I was young, I was a bit awkward. I lacked coordination; I couldn't move my long legs properly.

Little by little, as I started to build muscle and move better, I felt better on the field. The results came.

I attribute it to a late growth spurt. Some young people have almost finished growing by 17. I, on the other hand, continued to grow.

2003, the benchmark year

 Younes El Aynaoui:  I played my best tennis after 30 years. In 2003, I reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open  and quarter-final at the U.S. Open This is my best year, with my best ranking:  14th in the world  at the end of the year.

That's what I often tell young people: don't panic if you're a little behind in the junior category. A few years later, in the senior category, everyone is in the same league.

"Being very good at the junior level can be a double-edged sword."

 Younes El Aynaoui:  When you win a lot in juniors, you get used to winning. But on the ATP circuit, there's only one player who wins every week. So you have to learn how to lose.

A junior player who wins everything doesn't always understand why he's no longer winning at the professional level. Conversely, a more hardworking player, who has always had to work hard, can sometimes achieve better results in the long run.

 Question:  Are you thinking of someone when you say that?

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Hicham, for example, was a pure talent. He beat  Andre Agassi He beat some very good players, he won three sets to zero at  Roger Federer .

But when you look at his record, he's only won one tournament. He reached the final in Monte Carlo. He beat players that I might never have been able to beat.

Because he had a lot of talent, he perhaps worked a little less than Karim and me.

Younes El Aynaoui: "In Morocco, we hope to soon find a player who will shine in Grand Chelem »

"The seats are so expensive."

 Younes El Aynaoui:  There are a few exceptions:  Carlos Alcaraz ,  Rafael Nadal There are players who, at 15 or 16 years old, were already close to the top of world tennis and who managed to withstand the pressure. But these are very rare cases.

For the others, it's about persistence, perseverance, and forging their own path. There's no single, easy way. Some come from academies, others from small clubs, and still others are coached by their parents.

But they all have something in common: this almost vital desire to succeed. Places are so scarce that you have to stand out.

 Question:  Over those three days, we saw a lot of sliced ​​backhands, one-handed backhands. Today, we see much less of that…

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Yes, the game has changed a lot.

I came back to the circuit for two years recently, and everyone plays pretty much the same way. We try to outpace our opponents, to hit as hard as possible.

We see far fewer sliced ​​backhands. Players like  Novak Djokovic  ou  Daniil Medvedev  They only hit 3 or 4% of their backhands with a slice. The rest are topspin backhands.

It's spectacular because the players are physically at their peak and move very well. The baseline rallies are impressive. But we see fewer breaks in rhythm, fewer short balls, fewer high balls.

"Alcaraz offers more variety"

 Younes El Aynaoui:  We saw  Hon Jabeur  vary the game. We also saw players like  Lois Boisson  to add a little variety.

We grew up with  Steffi Graf who sliced ​​a lot. There was also Yannick Noah, who was coming up, who played chip and charge.

Today, it's rarer. Older people may be nostalgic, but when you look  alcaraz  et  Sinner  Playing, we are impressed by the level.

Alcaraz is perhaps the one who offers the most variety. When he said he was a mix between  Federer  et  Nadal At first, it was thought to be a lack of humility, but today, we accept it.

The legendary match against Andy Roddick

 Question:  Many people still associate you with your match against Andy Roddick at the Australian Open. Is that also the match that most marked your career?

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Yes, that match really put me in the spotlight.

After the Australian Open, I arrived in Indian Wells a few months later. I went to practice and saw the court packed with people. I even heard people saying there was a young player to watch. I was already 30 years old, but that match had brought me to the attention of the general public.

Andy and I have crossed paths several times since. I saw him in Toronto last year. We gave each other a warm hug. I think both of us will always remember that game.

"I would have loved to have played in the Dubai final against Santoro."

 Question:  Is there a match you wish you hadn't missed?

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Yes, the final of  Dubai 2003  salary.  Fabrice Santoro .

He had a very particular style of play. He made life difficult for many players taller than me. I had never lost to him, and the only match I lost was that final.

That would have been nice because that year I had won  Doha  I had won  Casablanca And I could have won Dubai too.

 Question:  Is there another match that we think about less, but that made an impression on you?

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Yes, the  Davis Cup against Spain  in Zaragoza.

It was in a large basketball hall converted into a tennis court, with nearly  15 000 spectators I won both my singles matches against  Juan Carlos Ferrero who was world number one, and against  Alex Corretja .

We lost the match 3/2, especially with the doubles, but for me it's a very nice memory.

"I could have enjoyed a doubles career"

 Question:  Speaking of doubles, you had the game for…

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Yes, I could have. I liked the double.

At the time, there were two different rankings. Since I had focused on singles, I couldn't always play doubles. Then, they integrated the singles ranking to allow singles players to compete more.

My best result is a semi-final at  Barcelona  with  Ronald Agenor I also played a few times at Wimbledon with Hicham. But we didn't play a lot.

"In doubles, you need to be in the top 25 or 30 to make a good living."

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Doubles is very different from singles. The pressure is different. You need different tools: the volley, the serve, the return.

In singles, to make a good living, you need to be in the top 100. In doubles, you practically need to be in the top 25 or 30. Places are very hard to come by.

At Wimbledon, in our day, doubles matches were still played in five sets. One year, I played a singles match that went to five sets, then a doubles match that I lost in four sets. Physically, it was very tough.

Today, they've shortened the formats: two sets, super tie-break in the third. This is done to limit the physical strain and attract singles players.

"If Alcaraz and Sinner played doubles, the center court would be full."

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Sometimes we see great partnerships. In Toronto, there was even one where Djokovic teamed up with Nadal.

The doubles specialists are very strong, they hold their own. But when singles players take to the court, it's entertaining for the public.

Si  alcaraz  et  Sinner  If they were playing doubles together, I'm sure the center court would be full.

Padel: "I really like it, honestly."

 Question:  We heard you talking about padel. There's even a court right next door. With your game, we'd love to see you on a court…

 Younes El Aynaoui:  I really like padel, honestly.

My son, who is a footballer, has often invited me to play. I've never played with really good padel players, more with average players, but I enjoy it.

As everywhere in the world, padel courts are multiplying. In Morocco, it's incredible what's happening. Many tennis clubs are removing a tennis court to install padel courts.

It's a fun sport. Maybe we could share a track together sometime.

His son, a footballer at AS Roma

 Question:  Your son, Neil El Aynaoui, is a professional football player and lives in Rome, where he plays for AS Roma. Would you have preferred him to become a tennis player?

 Younes El Aynaoui:  That's a question I'm often asked.

He plays tennis at a 15/4, 15/2 ranking, so he's very good. But we lived in Barcelona when he was born. At school there, it was all about Barça, Barça, Barça. Everyone played football.

That's where he started. Then he really fell in love with the sport.

He went through the training center of the AS Nancy-Lorraine then he spent two years at  RC Lens Since this year, he has been at  Rome .

"Yannick Noah and I have a fairly similar family background."

 Question:  This is something you have in common with Yannick Noah: your children have performed well in a different sport than yours.

 Younes El Aynaoui:  Yes, exactly. Yannick's father was a professional footballer, he played for Sedan and he was even a French champion in the 60s.

Yannick then had a career as a tennis player, followed by his son  Joakim Noah  succeeded in basketball.

It's a beautiful story of family sport.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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