Henri Leconte tells us about his rock and roll life: “If we had been filmed with cell phones, we would all be in prison”

Are you aware of having a rock and roll life?

“Of course ! My life could be a movie. Or a great series on Netflix. While writing my book, I remembered lots of things. I sometimes wondered how I had time to do all that. I tell the stories behind the scenes, what you don’t see on TV.”

Like a rock star, you’ve had some very highs and some very lows. However, we always knew you with a smile.

”I am not a lamb but I am still lucky to have a good character. I get up in the morning and I’m happy, even on the days when it’s not easy.”

At the end of my career, someone called me to tell me that I no longer had anything in my accounts.

Like in 2001 when you came close to death in Dublin.

”Yes, I have devastating viral meningitis during a veteran tournament. I really had this tunnel with two hands outstretched, one of which tells you to come to her and it will be great. But I fought and got through it. It still took me six months of rehabilitation to walk again. It’s an experience that makes you evolve in life, that makes you grow.”

And when someone calls you one day in 1997 to tell you that you are ruined, how do you keep from falling apart?

“It’s violent. It was at the end of my career, I had put my money aside to be well and there was nothing left.”

You have won $3.9 million in prize money during your career. It’s like having a winning EuroMillions ticket stolen from you the moment you stop working.

”You still have to take a lot of money out of prize money, to pay for your travels and your coaches. But it’s clear that I thought I would be peaceful after my career and suddenly, that was no longer the case. I got through it by telling myself that there were worse things in life. This guy who scammed me (Editor’s note: the Swiss Jacques Heyer) made other victims. I was at zero in my accounts but others were at minus two million. They thought they were comfortable and they had enormous debts. Some people can’t get over it but I told myself I had to keep moving forward. What’s the point of crying?”

People around me were offering me drugs but luckily I woke up.

The subject of depression in the world of tennis is in the news, notably with Naomi Osaka and Lucas Pouille. You played at a time when we weren’t talking about it while your relationship with the French public was very complicated.

”I was more appreciated abroad than in my country. It came later in France. I had moments of doubt but I was in the fight. Like this match where I was down two sets zero and 3-1 at Roland Garros (Editor’s note: against the Brazilian Motta in 1986). The audience left Central at the end of the second set laughing. I shouted: ‘You’ll see, I’m going to win this match’, with a few insults (laughs). When I came back to score, people were coming back and cheering for me. It made me stronger. Afterwards, I know that depression was never far away. At one point, I was close to giving up. Those around me were pulling me down. People who offered me drugs, in particular. Fortunately, I always resisted and eventually woke up: ‘What the hell am I doing with these assholes?’ I got through it but some people sank.”

At one time, you were also the target of comedians. You embodied “French loser”. We think of the sketch of Les Inconnus where you are parodied as “Henri Toubon” crushed by a sort of Björn Borg at Roland-Garros.

”While I ended Björn’s career twice by beating him! But honestly, it made me laugh. With my cigarette saying that I could have beaten him when I took 6-0 three times (laughs). I like being made fun of.”

This is also what might happen to the Grand Cactus.

“I hope so ! I’ve already seen what they do, they’re strong.”

We talked about the very lows but there are also very highs. On the ATP circuit, you had an incredible life.

”It was very different from today. We didn’t have social networks, no cell phones. The guys now, they just want to build an image on the networks. It’s a fake thing. I have been offered many times to buy followers for a sum of money, but what good does that do me? In our time, at the end of a tournament, all the semi-finalists, singles and doubles, women and men, went to eat together at a restaurant. Can you imagine that now? And I can tell you that it often led to great parties.”

Thomas Muster said a few months ago in the Team that you were “as crazy as your game” and “never shy of a party”.

“It either ! If we had been filmed and put on social media at the time, we would all be in prison (laughs). It was especially on the Senior Tour that we had incredible parties. With the elders, we had so much fun.”

The party was crazy in Liège, they made me drink a liqueur with a snake in it.

You were hazed on this Senior Tour during an Asian tour.

“Hazing was simple: for a week, you had to do everything the elders told you to do. It fell in Tokyo with McEnroe, Noah, Bahrami, Vilas and Borg. The worst was Björn. He hid his game well but I can tell you he was crazy. They made me drunk. I even played a match while still drunk. It’s sad that this Senior Tour no longer exists. I heard that Federer was preparing something to do exhibitions with Nadal. It can be nice but less fun after the matches. We did the Senior Tour in 2010 in Liège once, what madness!”

Tell.

”We slept at the Sanglier des Ardennes in Durbuy. He still remembers the wild boar. We ended up drinking liquor with a snake in it. Afterwards, we were still there to put on the show, with signings from McEnroe and Borg. Can you imagine that today? Guys don’t do that anymore. They think more about marketing than the passion for the game.”

At 17 years old in New York, you meet the brilliant American tennis player Vitas Gerulaitis who gets out of a yellow Rolls Royce with four models…

”(He cuts) And then I say: ‘That’s what I want’. I remember it like it was yesterday.”

And you got it?

“Of course ! On the circuit, we had a superstar life, with paparazzi outside the big hotels. I even had the same Rolls as Gerulaitis but in green. But my wife at the time didn’t like it and didn’t want to ride in it. That’s the only time I ever made money selling a car.”

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I told Forget that if I beat Lendl, I would buy myself a Lamborghini.

You also made a bet with Guy Forget that if you beat Ivan Lendl, you were going to buy yourself a Lamborghini Countach.

”Yes, it was at the Davis Cup in 1984. I beat Lendl in three sets but I didn’t buy the Lamborghini in the end. I did well because it would have been taken from me in my divorces (laughs).”

Is it true that you have celebrated weddings?

”Yes, nine marriages. I was elected municipal councilor in Levallois. One day, I was told that I was on call. I had to replace the mayor to celebrate weddings. I had a good laugh. The guys sometimes looked funny when they saw me.”

At Hanouna, I was told to change my mind 5 minutes before the live broadcast. It wasn’t for me.

At 60, with such a life, do you still have dreams?

“Full. I would like to host my own radio show. I had done a bit of “Grandes Gueules” on RMC but it’s not a show. It just screams. I also did the Hanouna show. We give you the topics, you work and then five minutes into the live broadcast, you are told that you must have the opposite opinion of what you think. It wasn’t for me.”

Doesn’t that tempt you to teach your famous serve volley while coaching players?

”I did it for a while with the French but the guys didn’t come to training… Without warning. I called and the guy told me that he was in Geneva and that he didn’t know how to get around. There is not enough respect for coaches. When I see the American Ben Shelton, a left-hander like me, I would make him progress a force! But today, the guys preferred to hit hard from the baseline. I find it a pity. Tennis isn’t varied enough.”