Benoit Paire's most recent loss was one of the fastest for a completed match in ATP Challenger Tour history, but the Frenchman's social media reaction indicated he did not care much.
Paire is one of the most mercurial players the ATP Tour has ever seen. The Frenchman is capable of brilliance when he is in the right frame of mind, sometimes hitting incredible shots for fans to enjoy.
Unfortunately, those moments have become increasingly rare for the 35-year-old, and when his game is not working, things usually unravel quicker than they would for almost any other player.
Paire often resorts to antics such as outbursts, attempting outrageous shots, or tanking when he does not feel like giving his best. That is a habit he has been unable to break during his career.
The three-time ATP titlist performed quite well before the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world at the start of 2020. That disruption and playing afterward during the restrictions that were in place were challenging for him.
Paire admitted that he was often happy to lose in the opening round of tournaments held during the pandemic because it allowed him to free himself from the pandemic restrictions and collect his paycheque.
He has also opened up more widely about his off-court struggles. Some of those factors may explain why his focus during matches wavers, often costing him the chance to climb the rankings.
Paire competes almost exclusively on the ATP Challenger circuit because his ranking is outside the Top 200. His fortunes reached a new low during his appearance at the Rennes Challenger.
The Frenchman may have been hopeful of finding form at an event held on home soil. He faced the Briton and No. 8 seed Jacob Fearnley on Centre Court in front of a decent crowd.
What transpired stunned even those who are used to Paire's capitulations. His opponent thrashed him 6-1, 6-0, in just 37 minutes. Fearnley won the final ten games of the match in what might be the most dominant triumph of his career.
The scale of Paire's loss was even more embarrassing because Fearnley did not even produce his best tennis. For example, he only made 43% of his first serves, but his hapless opponent still failed to create a break point.
After that, most players would go silent on social media, feeling too down and disappointed to communicate with their fans. However, Paire is not like most players, and he proved that with his reaction to the loss.
Shortly after the match, Paire released a social media post with three crying laughing emojis. That reaction may not go down well with the home fans in Rennes who took the time to watch him play.
That post probably summarizes why Paire has not achieved as much as he could have with the talent at his disposal. But it also shows why he is a unique character who attracts attention. Whether Paire will ever be able to find his best tennis again at 35 is unclear.
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