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Friday March 29, 2024

From Nadal shirt to Nadal on the dirt for France’s Moutet

By AFP
May 25, 2022

PARIS: As a child, Corentin Moutet was such a dedicated fan of Rafael Nadal that he used to sleep in one of the Spanish star´s trademark sleeveless shirts.

Now, he gets the chance to tackle his idol face-to-face for a place in the French Open third round.

"I started playing tennis while watching him. I remember his first Grand Slam. I even imitated him when I was a kid," said the 23-year-old Moutet.

"I even did stupid things, I was sleeping with his French Open tank top. I was a kid, not like I was 14 or 15 years old. I was imitating his serve. When you´re a kid you need to have idols. I was a lefty, so he was my inspiration. I tried to reproduce what he was doing."