Vacherot: "This life change would have driven me crazy if I were 19 or 20 years old"

Valentin Vacherot arrives at Roland Garros 2026 at the peak of his career, feeling like he has finally consolidated his progress. After several years competing in challengers and qualifiers, the 27-year-old player faces the Parisian Grand Slam as a seeded player with a maturity he acknowledges as key to managing the new reality in professional tennis.

During the Media Day before the start of Roland Garros 2026, the good Valentin Vacherot discussed the foot injury that led him to withdraw from Rome and Hamburg, explained how he tries to stay grounded despite the increasing media attention, and shared insightful thoughts on the economic distribution in tennis, the impact of training with Jannik Sinner, and the special experience of competing in the Parisian Grand Slam almost "at home."

Handling His Injury Carefully Before Roland Garros

"It wasn't in Rome but at the end of Madrid when I started feeling discomfort in my foot. It's something that had happened before, but this time it became more uncomfortable than usual, so we decided to be cautious."

"It was tough not playing in Rome because it's an incredible tournament, and I would have loved to stay there longer. However, now I know much better how to handle injuries and I'm not willing to take unnecessary risks. I have been training again for over a week, and I have enough time to arrive fully prepared for the debut. Right now, I feel good physically."

The Special Meaning of Playing Roland Garros

"It's very special because two years ago, this was my first Grand Slam when I played the qualifiers. I had always dreamed of being here, and now I return as a seeded player, so it's a quite different feeling. Just having to take a one-hour flight to come to a Grand Slam already changes a lot compared to what I had experienced before. I am really enjoying this experience."

The Pressure Management and His New Status

"I don't accept everything proposed to me because I try to stay focused, but at the same time, I want to enjoy all this as it's something I had dreamed of since I was a child."

"I think I have managed to separate quite well what happened at the end of last year and start this season from scratch, trying to be consistent with this new status."

"If this change had come when I was 19 or 20, it would probably have been more complicated, but now at 27, I feel I have enough perspective to understand everything that is happening."

His Reflection on the Economic Distribution in Tennis

"I'm probably not the best person to address this debate because I have only been regularly playing big tournaments for six or seven months. I spent three or four years moving between the 200th and 300th ranking places, and I honestly believe that those players are the ones who should earn more. Nevertheless, it's also true that the prize money has grown a lot in recent years."

"I understand the perspective of top players because they have a lot of exposure and may feel that the growth is not fast enough, but after having spent so many years in challengers, I personally have no reason to complain."

The Impact of Training with Jannik Sinner

"I've had the chance to train twice with Jannik, and honestly, he is a different player. It's not just about ball speed or how he strikes, but because the ball always comes back. You can train with him for two hours and hardly see unforced errors. That's the big difference compared to other top players. Yesterday, I felt like I had trained for a whole week after practicing with him. You learn a lot in a very short time."

Adapting to the Parisian Heat

"The heat doesn't bother me at all. I grew up in Monaco and spent five years in Texas playing in temperatures close to 40 degrees, so I'm quite used to it. The real challenge is when you go from playing in 15 degrees to 30 degrees overnight, but here we have had enough time to adapt."

After years of competing away from the media spotlight, Valentin Vacherot faces Roland Garros 2026 with the tranquility of someone who finally feels part of the ATP circuit. The Monegasque aims to make the most of the Parisian experience without losing perspective, continuing to solidify a progression that has taken him from challengers to competing head-to-head with some of the world's best players.