Arthur Cazaux, who started considering being a professional player around 13-14 years old, is part of Team BNP Paribas Jeunes Talents, the program created by the French bank in 2018, in association with the French Tennis Federation, to accompany around thirty French hopefuls. The 5th season of “Bleu Horizon”, which follows in the footsteps of the blue hopes, began Tuesday February 27 in a new web-series format with a new episode every 2 months. During the first season, young Arthur, aged 16, confided in his dream of a world top 100 and did not hide his admiration for Rafael Nadal, whose photos adorn the walls of his family bedroom. 5 years later, he reached the 1/8th of the Australian Open and changed dimension.
The cameras follow him in his preparation for Melbourne, while also focusing on the daily lives of three other players including Ksenia Chasteau, wheelchair tennis prodigy and Junior world number 1, and Gabriel Debru, 18, winner of Roland- Junior Garros and now coached by Ricardo Piatti, the former coach of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner. “I’ve been part of this team for a while, even though I’m a veteran now,” Cazaux says with a smile. I joined this program very young and it helped me in my progression to the high level. I am still attached to them. I attend seminars whenever I can. Every point I earn goes to fund the Auteuil apprentice program so that children can go on vacation. I am proud to be part of this project. The team is very caring towards young people. They bring us a lot for our professional projects and are essential in our tennis progression and as an individual.”
This program is sponsored by a certain Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The French hope was also compared to Manceau by Mats Wilander in a column for the Team during the Australian Open. “The comparison with Jo and me made me laugh a little,” says Cazaux. It’s surprising that people compare me to him. And Jo arrived on the circuit younger and was much stronger than me at the time. At my age, he had already reached the final of the Australian Open. But the young man shares at least one thing in common with the 2008 Australian Open finalist. He, too, was not spared from injuries in his formative years. “I struggled in juniors and even before. When we met with Jo, my main questions concerned the management of major injuries. I wanted to know how he was able to cope mentally with being in a tough situation. We talked a lot about it and Jo answered all my questions. He’s a very open person.”
