Mannarino and the 15 obsessions that make him a unique tennis player

Adrian Mannarino is one of those tennis players who seem determined to do things completely differently from the rest. His obsessions, quirks, and peculiarities make him an absolutely unique player, someone who has built his career outside many of the unwritten rules of the professional circuit. From his relationship with rackets to his way of preparing for matches, including his clothing, superstitions, and his peculiar playing style, the Frenchman has amassed a collection of stories that are difficult to find with any other tennis player.

Mannarino is, moreover, a true wonder for any tennis commentator. It is impossible to talk about him without finding something that deviates from the usual logic of a professional athlete. We are talking about a player who has reached number 17 in the world, who has won five ATP titles, and who, nevertheless, has a completely different understanding of tennis compared to most of his peers. And to understand just how atypical he is on the circuit, there are 15 peculiarities that make him a unique tennis player.

1. He bet that he would play an entire season in the same shirt

In 2017, Mannarino acknowledged that he had made a bet with his coach, Jean-Christophe Faurel, to try to compete all year in the same outfit. He started at the Australian Open and maintained that peculiar habit for a good part of the season.

At that time, he didn't have a clothing sponsor and didn't seem too concerned about getting one either. In a press conference for the M1000 in Paris, he explained that the bet was still on, although he wasn't sure if he would be able to complete it. It's worth noting that he was referring to the same kit, not necessarily to a single physical item used in all matches.

2. Wimbledon had to provide him with shirts to compete

At Wimbledon 2018, when he faced Roger Federer in the round of 16, Mannarino still did not have a clothing sponsor. The problem was that the British tournament requires almost entirely white attire.

It had to be the All England Club itself that provided him with the polos he needed. The Frenchman explained that, given the strict rules of the tournament, the organization supplied white clothing to players who did not have it. This way, he could compete without commercial brands and without worrying about his outfit.

3. He rejected sponsors because he preferred to be comfortable

Despite being among the best in the world for years, Mannarino spent long periods without a clothing sponsor by choice. At the 2024 Australian Open, he explained that he didn't want to sign with just any company for the sake of making a bit more money.

His priority was to feel comfortable in his clothing, especially with his shoes. He even stated that some brands forced him to use certain shoe models and that, at his age, he didn't want to risk getting injured for that reason.

This situation changed in April 2024, when he signed with Celio. The agreement allowed him to maintain his usual style, based on simple and comfortable t-shirts. They gave him the same t-shirt in different colors. Simplicity to the extreme.

4. He competed for months with a single racket

One of his most extraordinary stories also occurred in 2017. Mannarino admitted that, between the tournaments in Montreal and Moscow, he had been competing with only one racket of his preferred model. What was the reason? Babolat had stopped producing the model he used and he couldn't find more units in suitable condition.

He had three or four other rackets stored in the garage, but they were too worn out. The Frenchman acknowledged that this posed a problem because the strings would lose tension and he needed to change rackets to maintain the same sensations. However, he was resistant to abandoning the model he was used to.

5. He asked for help on Twitter to find a discontinued racket

The desperation to find his favorite model reached social media. On October 6, 2017, Mannarino posted a message asking if there was any store in the world that still had stock of his Babolat racket, with grip size 3 or 4.

The scene was absolutely unusual. We are talking about a player ranked among the top 30 in the world publicly asking for help to find a racket that was no longer manufactured. It wasn't a financial issue, but a matter of feeling. Mannarino preferred to search for the last available copy rather than change the material with which he felt comfortable.

6. He can play five sets without changing rackets

Although he currently has several rackets, Mannarino still has a very particular relationship with them. In an official interview with the ATP in 2023, he acknowledged that he can play an entire match, even up to five sets, using the same one.

While other professionals switch rackets every time new balls are introduced to maintain consistent tension, the Frenchman prefers to keep using the one that he feels most comfortable with. He explained that he usually brings four or five freshly strung rackets to his matches, but if he finds one that he is comfortable with, he does not see the need to replace it.

7. Turns the hotel room into a racket laboratory

Mannarino may seem unconcerned about his equipment, but the reality is exactly the opposite. He is truly obsessed with the details of his rackets. In January 2022, his doubles partner Hugo Nys explained to L'Équipe that the Frenchman spends a lot of time personally modifying the grips and the balance of the frames.

According to Nys, Mannarino practically turns his hotel room into a laboratory where he makes small adjustments until he achieves the sensations he is looking for. The grip is especially important for him. If he finds a racket that fits perfectly in his hand, he can use it throughout the entire match.

8. Has strung his rackets at only eight kilos

Probably his most well-known technical peculiarity. While many professionals play with tensions close to 22 or 24 kilos, Mannarino has managed to compete with strings tensioned at just eight kilos. He personally confirmed this in an interview with Tennis Majors in July 2025. At that time, he explained that he usually used tensions between 9 and 11 kilos, depending on the conditions and the stringer.

His explanation is that such loose strings create a trampoline effect that allows him to propel the ball without making excessively powerful strokes. For him, far from being an eccentricity, it is the way to achieve the best possible sensations.

9. Adjusts the tension in differences of only 200 grams

His obsession with stringing doesn't stop at eight kilos. Mannarino is also extremely meticulous about small adjustments. In that 2025 interview, he explained that stringing machines do not operate exactly the same in every tournament. That's why he needs to test the rackets before deciding on the final tension.

While many players make modifications of one kilo, he admitted that he usually adjusts between 200 and 400 grams. A difference that may seem insignificant to any amateur, but is fundamental to his way of hitting the ball.

Mannarino is an atypical, peculiar tennis player. A rare bird. There is NO ONE like him. NO ONE. He has quirks that only he possesses and that alone endear him to fans. It is impossible not to like him. I’ve tried to summarize most of them ⬇️ You will be amazed. 1. He played the 2017 season wearing the same shirt due to a bet. 2. Wimbledon had to give him shirts because he didn’t have any white ones. 3. He rejected sponsors because he couldn’t find comfortable shirts. 4. In 2017, he competed for almost the entire year with just one racket because his favorite model was no longer being made. 5. He asked for help on Twitter to find rackets since he ran out of his favorite. 6. He strings his rackets at only 8 kilos. At 8! 7. He asks for the last string to be at 20 kilos so the anti-vibration device doesn’t fall off. He goes for months without breaking strings. 8. He never looks at who he’s playing against. Sometimes he learned 10 minutes before going on to play. He forbids journalists from asking him about his next opponent to avoid finding out. 9. He never studies his rivals. He plays by intuition. He doesn’t look at statistics or anything. 10. He doesn’t like clay courts. He says he has been dragging hip problems for years and it doesn’t work for him. He has only won ONE match on clay in three years.

— José Morón (@jmgmoron) October 30, 2026

10. He asks for the last string to be tightened to 20 kilos

One of the lesser-known stories about him. Although Mannarino uses extremely low tension, he asks for the last string of the stringing to be tightened to 20 kilos. He explained this in Tennis Majors during Wimbledon 2025. The reason is not directly related to his hitting, but to avoid the dampener coming off the racket.

According to the Frenchman, if he does not make that adjustment, he can lose it every three games due to how loose the strings are. A detail that shows how much he has adapted his equipment to his particular needs.

11. He can go weeks without breaking a string

Unlike other players who frequently break strings due to the power and spin of their shots, Mannarino hardly has that problem. In an interview with Eurosport, he explained that during winter training, he could spend two or three weeks using the same racket without breaking the strings.

This circumstance was precisely one of the reasons he ended up playing with such low tensions. The strings lost tension progressively and he found that he felt more and more comfortable. He even admitted in 2025 that sometimes he ends up breaking the strings himself just to have the racket restrung.

12. He discovers who his opponent is ten minutes before the match

We are faced with one of Mannarino's most famous superstitions. The Frenchman avoids knowing the identity of his next opponent until the very last moment possible. His explanation is that when he knows who he is going to play against, he starts to imagine the match and ends up exhausting himself mentally before stepping onto the court.

At the US Open 2025, after defeating Tallon Griekspoor, he acknowledged that he had found out he would be facing the Dutchman just ten minutes before the match began. It was madness. On other occasions, he has explained that he usually learns about his next match approximately an hour beforehand.

13. Journalists have to avoid telling him who his next opponent will be

This custom has led to surreal situations during press conferences. Before some appearances, moderators remind journalists not to mention Mannarino's next opponent's name.

One of the funniest episodes occurred at the Australian Open 2024. After his victory against Ben Shelton, several Serbian journalists were waiting to ask him about his next match against Novak Djokovic. When the organizers reminded them that the Frenchman did not want to know his rival, some journalists got angry because they had been waiting for half an hour and ended up leaving the room.

Keeping the identity of the next opponent a secret is not always easy. During the Australian Open 2024, the driver transporting Mannarino to the venue wished him luck for his match against Jaume Munar. He ruined his superstition. On another occasion, while eating at the tournament's restaurant, he saw his name alongside Shelton's and discovered it ahead of time as well.

14. He does not want to study statistics of his opponents

Most professional tennis players analyze serve patterns, percentages, and trends of their rivals. Mannarino prefers to do exactly the opposite. In December 2024, he explained to Eurosport that this type of information can hinder him during critical moments.

He used an example of a situation where a coach warns him that an opponent tends to serve wide when facing a break point. Even though his intuition suggests otherwise, that prior information can influence him. That's why he prefers to rely on his reading of the game and react to what happens on the court without arriving at the match with too many preconceived ideas.

15. What makes him a bad clay player makes him good on grass

Mannarino's relationship with surfaces is also very special. The Frenchman has openly acknowledged that he hates playing on clay and has significant difficulties moving on it. In an interview with L'Équipe during Wimbledon 2026, he explained that he has been dealing with hip problems since he was young and that each year it becomes harder for him to slide on clay.

That season he had lost all eight matches played on clay, but he started winning matches again when the grass arrived. The most interesting part is that his own style explains much of that difference. His flat strokes, his ability to take advantage of the ball's speed, and his particular way of moving fit much better with fast courts.

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