Royer seeks his best version: "I broke rackets, lost control, insulted everyone"

Raquel Bermúdez Rodríguez | 22 Sep 2025 | 22.59

Valentin Royer, finalist in Hangzhou. Photo: Getty

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A season full of first times, that's how the year 2025 is shaping up for Valentin Royer who will play the first final of a circuit tournament at the ATP Hangzhou 2025. The French player, currently ranked 88th in the world, will secure his adventure in the Top 100 by securing the 75th position, although he can still improve his ranking to get closer to the 60th position.

In the grand final of the Chinese tournament, Royer will face Alexander Bublik in their first-ever encounter. Despite falling in the second round of the US Open, the French player will seek to capture the first trophy of his career at the Chinese tournament, as he stated in his interview with L'Equipe.

Regarding the final against Alexander Bublik

"I am very excited about the final. We will prepare as we do for all matches, with our daily routine, muscle warm-ups, stretches, etc. I just finished my semifinal match and we will return for another 20 or 30 minutes to train a bit. It's all these little details that, when combined, make a difference on the court."

His triumph against Corentin Moutet

"I remained rather stoic because I know he can be a talented player capable of executing incredible shots. The instruction was to stay calm no matter what happened on the court, and I succeeded. He didn't play his best tennis, these things happen. I managed to stay in my own world, keep the pressure throughout the match, and remain calm through different match situations. If there's something to remember, it's that I managed the moment well, as it was my first time, another first time, with this semifinal on the circuit."

His first final

"It's the culmination of hard work, nothing less. The first goal every player dreams of achieving is being among the top 100 in the world, and we have already accomplished that. Another goal is to win a professional circuit tournament, where even fewer people have succeeded. That's not over yet, there's one more match to bring the trophy home. We will do things as best as possible to prepare."

Valentin Royer's style

"Some journalists told me that I had the forehand and physique of someone, and I said to them, 'I don't have the forehand or physique of anyone. I just do things my way, as Valentin Royer on the court.' What I do is my personality, I try to stay as calm as possible, hit the ball hard, move well, be versatile, and be able to play on all surfaces. When all parameters are in place, a good combination is created, which means I can defeat very highly ranked players and reach the final. My identity as a player is well defined."

The mental aspect

"Mentally, I am a person who goes in all directions. In everyday life, my brain operates at full speed, I think about many things at once. It's good on the court because I have plenty of energy, but you have to know how to contain that energy in the pressure moments of a match, and that's all the mental work we did with my coach, my physical trainer. I broke rackets, lost control, insulted everyone. I wanted to take it to the next level this year, nothing is certain. Perhaps tomorrow there will be something that tries to make me lose my cool. It will be a new challenge."