Julien Benneteau: The Frenchman's Unmatched Finale Misfortune
Julien Benneteau, the almost-there French tennis star, has had an illustrious career, reaching ten tennis finals. Yet, the longevity of his achievements has an unusual twist - he's never won a single one.
Since the start of the Open Era in 1968, no man or woman has reached multiple finals without ever clinching the title. Benneteau laughs it off when someone suggests he might be the greatest tennis player to never win a singles title. "Well, if people think that about me, then I'm good with it," he said to CNN Sports[1].
Despite falling short at the final hurdle, Benneteau's versatile playstyle proved to be a thorn in the side of the era's top-tier tennis superstars. He defeated Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, attaining 18 top 18 appearances and reaching finals on various surface types.
In 2012, he gave Federer a run on grass at Wimbledon, taking two sets and reaching the London Grand Slam quarterfinals. He then improved his standing on the world rankings, reaching 25th and delivering strong performances in the doubles sphere.
Shattering Myths and Unveiling Truths
There are a handful of notable tennis players who've shared Benneteau's misfortune of reaching multiple finals without winning a title in the Open Era. Some of them, such as Robin Söderling, Cedric Pioline, and Pat Dupre, eventually clinched their first title after a streak of losses in the finals.
Benneteau himself came agonizingly close to breaking through in numerous final matches. There were times when he took the match to the brink, but fate always dealt a cruel blow. In 2013, he had a match point in Kuala Lumpur against Joao Sousa, only to be met with a miraculous saving shot from his Portuguese opponent.
Pioline and Dupre, like Benneteau, each had streaks of nine straight final losses. However, they managed to win their first title in their tenth attempt. Pioline defeated the local hero Kenneth Carlson in Denmark's Kopenhagen, while Dupree overcame Maurice Skip Strode in Hong Kong[1].
The Matchball Heartbreak
Benneteau eventually pushed past Pioline and Dupre's milestone by reaching his eleventh final. But despite the likelihood of his tenure on the tennis stage, Benneteau was unable to seal the deal, ultimately leaving a lasting legacy in the sport but falling short of winning an ATP title.
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Benneteau's heartbreak against Sousa in Kuala Lumpur is perhaps among the most unforgettable. With victory in sight, a match point looming, all the Frenchman needed to do was close the deal. Unfortunately, his opponent had other plans and came up with an inexplicable winning shot.
That loss weighed heavily on Benneteau. In his subsequent match, he had to pull out due to jet lag and knee pain. "I had more than one beer in the airport lounge," Benneteau said. "I didn't want to sleep in the plane because I knew I'd see match pictures if I closed my eyes."
However, despite all his struggles on the court, Benneteau remained an influential force in French tennis. He finished in 25th place in the year-end rankings and celebrated yet another silver lining in the form of Davis Cup glory, teaming up with Michael Llodra to take doublets bronze at the London Olympics.
