ATP Tour

He read the Harry Potter series in English & French. Blanchet now turns page at US Open

Ugo Blanchet remembers the moment he needed to make a change.

“It was my 22nd birthday,” the Frenchman recalled to ATPTour.com at the US Open. “I was World No. 900. Still a good player, because No. 900 is already a good level of tennis. But my parents paid for everything. I had a girlfriend, and I couldn’t buy her anything. So I said to myself, ‘If I really want to do this job, I have to change quickly to try to have a real chance to play in bigger tournaments.’

“Now my girlfriend is much happier.”

Blanchet may deliver that story in a slightly light-hearted manner, but it is a fitting anecdote that helps summarise his tennis journey so far. He had already turned 26 when he made his Grand Slam main-draw debut in May at Roland Garros, making him a late bloomer in comparison to the majority of his peers. Despite that long wait, he holds no regrets.

“I think everybody has their own path,” said Blanchet. “Mine has been longer, because I was not very professional in my approach to practising and playing. I think some players understood it sooner than me, but at the end it’s okay. I learned later than most other players who are here, but I am happy.”

Last week, Blanchet’s girlfriend and parents were in New York to watch him drop just one set across three qualifying matches at the US Open. They have all since had to return to France for work, but he remains well-supported at Flushing Meadows by his coach, former World No. 50 Stephane Robert.

The departure of most of his entourage has done little to stall Blanchet’s progress. On his US Open main-draw debut on Sunday, he saw off Fabian Marozsan in four sets. Three days later, he stunned the fast-rising #NextGenATP Czech Jakub Mensik in a five-set thriller. A memorable moment, but Blanchet is eager for more.

“I’m really happy with the win,” said Blanchet of his 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(10-7) triumph against the 16th-seeded Mensik. “My first one in five sets and my first time into the third round of a Grand Slam, and first win against a Top 20 player. But at the end of the day, it is just five sets. I need to prove it multiple times against these players to say that my level is really high and that I can compete with these guys the whole year.”

_{^{Blanchet earned the biggest win of his career against World No. 16 Jakub Mensik on Thursday. Photo Credit: Elsa/Getty Images}}

Competing in New York as the World No. 184, Blanchet’s off-court passions include following French football powerhouse Olympique de Marseille, while he also identifies himself as a huge ‘Potterhead’.

"I am a big fan of Harry Potter. I went to London to visit the studios and I’ve read all the books in French, and in English to learn [the language better]," said Blanchet. "I think they are better in English, but because of my [reading] level, I prefer them in French.”

Blanchet’s time so far this summer in New York has been all about tennis, however, and he will head into his third-round meeting with 21st seed Tomas Machac flying high with confidence. Should the Frenchman win, he will surpass his career high of No. 139 in the PIF ATP Rankings after the US Open.

“The journey has been good,” said Blanchet, reflecting on his five wins so far in New York. “I think since my first match I’ve played really good tennis, so I’m happy with my level. I have good confidence in my game so I’m happy to come here and get some victories.

“These past two matches I think it was tough to stay focused on the game because I was already happy with qualifying, but I wanted more, so I am happy to be here.”