Van Assche 'Drives To Survive' Pau Challenger Last

Frenchman Luca Van Assche is soaking in a robust begin to the season on the ATP Challenger Tour. At simply 18 years previous, the #NextGenATP participant is doing all of it whereas persevering with a traditional teenage life: finding out college homework and having fun with his passions other than tennis, similar to System One Racing, which Van Assche started to observe after watching the Netflix sequence Drive To Survive.

Ought to Van Assche sometime rise to stardom on the ATP Tour, maybe he’ll discover himself within the Netflix sequence Break Level, which premiered in January and options gamers similar to Nick Kyrgios, Matteo Berrettini, and Taylor Fritz. If followers got a behind-the-scenes look of Van Assche, they’d discover {the teenager} stays busy along with his varied hobbies.

“I take heed to plenty of French rap. There are plenty of good rappers in France, like Ninho,” Van Assche stated. “I like Paris Saint-Germain, their stadium is close to my home. I additionally love System One, since I began watching the Netflix sequence [Drive To Survive] a couple of years in the past. I observe a little bit of rugby too.”

In December, the Brussels-born participant had his breakthrough second, profitable his maiden Challenger title in Maia, Portugal through the closing week of the season. This previous week, Van Assche collected one other Challenger crown in dramatic vogue.

Van Assche escaped countryman Ugo Humbert within the longest Challenger closing in historical past (three hours, 56 minutes) on the Terega Open Pau Pyrenees. After heading off two championship factors, the #NextGenATP star lifted his arms within the air to have fun an exhilarating 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(6) victory.

“It was a loopy match, a tremendous battle towards Ugo,” Van Assche stated. “I’m very blissful. Lots of feelings throughout this match. I used to be main, then shedding. I used to be match level up, then match level down. It was a implausible match with nice help from the group.

Luca Van Assche triumphs on the Challenger 125 in Pau.” />
Luca Van Assche triumphs on the Challenger 125 in Pau. Credit score: Alexis Atteret

“At 4/6 within the [deciding-set] tie-break, I hoped he wouldn’t hit an ace! I used to be taking part in level by level, simply focussing on each level. I used to be a little bit bit exhausted so I used to be not considering an excessive amount of, simply taking part in my sport.”

If it weren’t for his skilled tennis profession, Van Assche might have pursued a profession in arithmetic, which he’s finding out on-line at Paris Dauphine College. Even finally week’s Pau Challenger, the World No. 110 was engaged on homework on his days off.

“I handed my exams in December,” Van Assche stated. “I’m doing two or three topics in a semester. Once I had days off in Pau, I used to be doing a little bit little bit of homework on Tuesday and Thursday. It’s a little bit difficult as a result of if you’re within the match, you’re focussed and generally drained.”

Van Assche has loved success on the Challenger Tour following his standout junior profession. In 2021, Van Assche captured the Roland Garros boys’ singles title. Within the championship match, he defeated countryman and shut pal Arthur Fils, who’s at the moment No. 111 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, only one spot behind Van Assche. The French youngsters are holding a pleasant competitors to see who cracks the High 100 first.

“I hope to be within the High 100 earlier than him!” Van Assche joked. “I do know Arthur very effectively and I’m very blissful for him and his outcomes. I’m practising with him virtually day-after-day, so we’re speaking about it. I’m fairly near the High 100 and I hope to be there quickly.”

Van Assche is the fourth Frenchman to win a number of Challenger titles earlier than turning 19, becoming a member of Richard Gasquet, Gael Monfils, and Fabrice Santoro, who all surpassed the High 20. Monfils and Gasquet, who’re nonetheless energetic on Tour, have been as excessive as No. 6 and seven, respectively.

Can Van Assche observe in his countrymen steps and rise to the highest ranges of the game? “I hope so,” Van Assche stated. “It’s the aim of my profession to be within the High 10 and battle for the large titles. It’s an honour to be in comparison with these guys, they’re legends in France. I wish to proceed like them.

“Gasquet is practising in Paris and I’m in Paris so I practise so much with him. We’ve talked a little bit bit about his life on Tour. When a participant like him tells you that you just play very effectively and that you’ve an enormous future, it offers you plenty of confidence as a result of they’re very well-known gamers.”

Van Assche now shifts his consideration to the clay-court swing as he makes an attempt to make his maiden Roland Garros main-draw look. The teenager will subsequent be in motion on the pink filth on the Sanremo Challenger, which begins 27 March.