French Open 2023: Lucas Pouille scripts special comeback after recovering from depression

France’s Lucas Pouille has scripted an epic comeback from depression by qualifying for the French Open 2023. The former top 10 star returned with a 1-6, 7-5, 6-0 triumph over Austria’s Jurij Rodionov on Thursday to earn his place in the main draw. It is the first time since September 2021 that the 29-year-old won three matches in a row at any level.

Once a top-10 star, the Frenchman currently sits at No. 670 in the ATP Rankings and is coming off a poor start to his season. Weeks prior to the second major championship of the year, he lost to Tristan Boyer in the Sarasota challenger final before losing to Alex Michelsen in the second round of the Tallahassee Challenger. Having once defeated  Rafael Nadal, he now heads into the Roland Garros 2023 and looks to get ahead of the turmoils he faced in his life.

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Speaking to L’Equippe in an interview, Pouille shed light on his struggle with depression and said, “ I started having a darker side and going into a depression that led to me sleeping an hour a night and drinking alone. I was sinking into some creepy stuff. I made the decision to say stop," Lucas Pouille admitted.

French Open 2023 main draw begins on Sunday, May 28

In his 11-year-old professional tennis career, the Frenchman is yet to move past the third round. However, he found rejuvenation by qualifying for the French Open 2023, a Grand Slam tournament where he is yet to do his best. After storming his way into the main draw, Pouille was seen carrying his daughter in his arms through the tunnel.

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Meanwhile, Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz is the no. 1 seed at the second grand slam tournament of the year. It is the first time in his career that the US Open 2022 winner has entered a major championship as the no. 1 seed. On the other hand, 22-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic also finds himself in the same half as Alcaraz. French Open 2023 kicked off with the Qualifying round on Monday, May 22, while the main draw begins on Sunday.