“I knew I was capable of competing at this level” says Cazaux after Rune victory
21-year-old Arthur Cazaux has been overshadowed in French tennis by Fils, van Assche and Humbert recently, but is letting his results do the talking this week
Virginie Bouyer / Panoramic
Frenchman Arthur Cazaux executed the biggest upset of the men’s event at the Australian Open so far this year, knocking out No 8 seed Holger Rune, 7-6(4), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 on Thursday evening.
Often when underdogs pull off upsets at Grand Slams, it’s because they play out of their skin for a few hours. For Cazaux, ranked No 122 in the world, it felt like this wasn’t the case.
At no stage did the 21-year-old look like he was overplaying or going for risky shots, despite the fact that he made a healthy 51 winners across the course of the four sets. Instead, Cazaux put together a composed, measured performance, raising questions about his place in the future of French tennis.
“I knew I was capable of playing at this level,” Cazaux declared after defeating Rune. “I’ve been training very hard for months.
“My physical condition and my head and my tennis and all these things together give me the win today.”
Cazaux storms into the conversation for French tennis
Veteran Adrian Mannarino may well be the top-ranked Frenchman at the moment, but all eyes are on the up-and-coming stars.
19-year-old’s Arthur Fils and Luca van Assche are leading the charge, with the pair both lighting up the Challenger scene before impressing on the ATP Tour over the last year. Ugo Humbert is also in the mix, with the 25-year-old slightly more mature but experiencing some hot form over recent months.
Amidst all the focus on this trio, Cazaux has largely fallen through the cracks. The former 2020 Australian Open Junior finalist has had the early stages of his career plagued with injuries, suffering from elbow and foot fractures, as well as pubalgia, tendinitis and muscle tears between 2016 and 2022.
Fit and healthy now, the 21-year-old credits his injuries with the player he is today.
“I have had a difficult journey, but I have a crazy life, I am not to be pitied,” said Cazaux of his injury struggles. “My injuries have forged the character that is mine, that of a fighter and a warrior. Without them, I wouldn’t be as strong as I am now.”
Opportunity for revenge in third round
Having already dispatched world No 33 Laslo Djere and world No 8 Holger Rune, Cazaux now turns his attention to slaying another giant in the Australian Open third round.
Up next is No 28 seed Tallon Griekspoor, a big-hitting Dutchman who is through to the third round of a Grand Slam for just the second time in his career.
An opportunity to gain revenge for his country presents itself to Cazaux as well, with Griekspoor being responsible for the elimination of Fils in the second round.
Should he prevail, Cazaux may well have a chance to further his case for inclusion in the conversation about France’s rising tennis stars. His fourth round opponent could well be compatriot Humbert, who takes on Hubert Hurkacz in an exciting third round clash.
