Mannarino sincerely explains why he continues competing at 38 years old

Adrian Mannarino has made some interesting statements reflecting on his performance at the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2026. The French player continues to go viral for his peculiar playing style and a captivating charisma, with his unique way of understanding tennis. 

Every time he achieves an important victory, such as this week's one against Cobolli, voices emerge expressing amazement at the infinite talent of a man who, at 38 years old, remains competitive despite clearly being at a physical disadvantage. When asked why he continues to compete at his age, the current world number 83 shared some interesting reflections in L'Equipe.

Mannarino and a unique perspective on his moment as a tennis player

"I’ve been doing this since I was a child. For now, tennis is the only thing I know how to do (smiles). It's a job I really enjoy and still love on the court. It's also my livelihood, and I must acknowledge that it's a profession that pays well. As long as I remain competitive, why not continue? Maybe one or two more years, I don’t know. We’ll see where this takes me."

In addition, he referred to how he views his immediate future as a professional tennis player and how he is managing to cope with an evident decline in physical power.

"I am aware that physically I am a bit in decline. It's hard to acknowledge and accept that I will never be as fast or as resilient as I once was. For a tennis player, that in itself is a small sporting death. I will never be as competitive as I was in the past, but I try to manage with what I have. As long as I can maintain a good level and play matches like those in the first two rounds, it is quite enjoyable. I also don’t think about it too much: I’m kind of on autopilot. Between travels and tournaments, we never stop. Perhaps it’s a blessing not to have enough time to ask myself the questions I should (smiles). I keep moving forward with everything. In this profession, if you don’t give it your all, unless you are extraordinarily gifted, you have little chance."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Mannarino explica con sinceridad por qué sigue compitiendo a sus 38 años