(Granby) No one can say that Vasek Pospisil lacks ambition. On the contrary, when asked about his concrete goals in the short and medium term, the 33-year-old Canadian was unequivocal: “I want to get into the top 50, even the top 30.”
Met last Monday at the center of the site hosting the National Bank Championships in Granby on the eve of his first match of the tournament, Pospisil seemed confident and especially in good spirits. At the start of the season, he had to be absent for several weeks due to various health problems.
However, the next day, the Canadian fell in three sets in the first round to Adam Walton. However, the winner of the 2012 edition of the Granby Challenger was seeded fourth.
Still, it was only his second game since February 13.
“I played really good tennis last year, especially at the end after my injury. Even this year, at the start of the season, I played well, but injuries are part of the sport. I have to take the positive from my performances before my injury. It might take a while, but I hope not,” he said, hands on hips, clutching his black t-shirt with his gold initials inscribed on it.
This historic coronation seems to have given him a lot of hope. Notwithstanding the countless health problems that have not only slowed him down, but slowed him down, he believes in his chances of returning to the elite of the circuit.
“I believe my level is definitely top 50, even higher I think. In the past five years, I have never played a full season. It’s frustrating, because it always takes a few months to come back,” he said.
To access this plateau, however, all the conditions must be met. Something that has rarely happened since his accession to the professionals. “I have confidence in what I can do and [I believe I can] play at this level. Afterwards, the body and the wounds are something else. In my mind, I want to get back into the top 50.”
Almost two years after his last game, his friend and compatriot Milos Raonic has made a no less surprising return to the game on grass in recent weeks. Winner in the first round of the Wimbledon tournament, the 32-year-old was however ousted in the second round.
What if, in turn, Pospisil could also begin a victorious comeback in a major tournament?
“We see it all the time now. It’s the first time in the history of the sport that you feel that even if you’re in your thirties, you can play at a high level and achieve the best results of your career. So it gives me confidence and good energy. »
Pospisil had to deal with injuries throughout his career. More than the average player, most certainly. These have considerably harmed his development and frustrated the hopes placed in him by Tennis Canada, at a time when it was almost unthinkable to see a Canadian breaking into the top 20, let alone the top 10 in the world.
The British Columbian, having lost none of his ability to converse in French, still had a more than respectable career. He realized his dream. He became champion of a major tournament. Last year again, he won tournaments like the one in Drummondville. However, he knows that the future is less bright than the past, since at 33, time is running out. And it drains quickly.
“Tennis is my life,” he says with a smile.
If he lugs his bag from tournament to tournament with the hope of touching up at the top of the mountain, it is first of all out of conviction that he still has something to give. He refuses to leave his greatest love with the slightest regret.
“I want to keep playing, but if I come back, it’s mainly because I think I’m not finished. I think I can still ride. »
