At the age of 22, Frenchman Titouan Droghet, ranked 171st in the world, caused a sensation at the US Open, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Coming from qualification, he produced the biggest win of his young career against Italian Lorenzo Musetti (world number 20) in the first round before attempting a new feat on Wednesday evening.
On his second match point, he hit the tenth ace, dropped his racket and then fell straight as a pillar before throwing his hat away, not yet realizing what he had just achieved. Titouan Droguet (171I world), 22, will long remember his stunning success against 18th seed Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday, 29 August.
After leading two sets to one and suffering a mental breakdown following a third set loss, Villeneuve defeated his opponent in five sets (6–3, 0–6, 6–7, 6–3, 6–2). won in All this happened after playing three qualifying rounds. It is a real achievement for a player who had never played a match at this level before.
He was playing his first Grand Slam match
Titouan Droguet’s performance is all the more remarkable as the Frenchman was inexperienced at such a stage of a major tournament. 171I The world number one was thus playing his first Grand Slam match, but most importantly his first meeting on the main circuit. “Yeah, a lot of firsts happened this week”he admitted in an interview Team.
When you win your first Grand Slam match 🇫🇷🤩
tituan droguet#US Open #homeoftennis pic.twitter.com/AGbeoeo9Mh
– Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) 29 August 2023
With this success at Flushing Meadows, Villeneuve secured his first success against a Top 20 in his career for his first outdoor hard court tournament of the season! It is also the first time that a French player has beaten a top 20 at the US Open since Lucas Pouille in 2016 against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut (at 3).I round) and Rafael Nadal (in the eighth).
He almost stopped his career during his imprisonment
During the first confinement in March 2020, Titouan Droghet asked himself the question whether to continue playing tennis or not. Two months of not touching the racket which was beyond 900I At that time World Place did not yet know whether he wanted to devote his life to this sport and make many sacrifices.
“I was at a time when I didn’t even know if I would be able to move on, I really put everything aside”he assured west france In October 2021, when he qualified for the main draw of the Open de Vendée. After all, he benefited a lot from this cut. “That’s what helped me change my mind mentally. My attitude on the court had a sense of before and after imprisonment. ,
He won more money in one match than in his entire career
Arriving in New York, challenger circuit regular Titouan Drouguet had recorded $119,000 in tournament earnings since his professional debut in 2018, including $3,700 for the semi-finals in Meerbusch (Germany) in August, his highest since the US. It was the last deadline. open. By eliminating Lorenzo Musetti, he would collect $123,000, which is more than all the money he has already won in his career.
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In qualifying, he lost to Christian Garin (6–4, 6–2), Tennys Sandgren (2–6, 6–2, 7–5) and Kimmer Koppejns (6–1, 1–6, 7–5). Now France will face 17-year-old Czech Jakub Mencic (206)I World) in the second round of the American Grand Slam. A draw within reach against an opponent brimming with talent, who released Grégoire Barrère (59)I) in four sets, Monday.