Former French number one suffers major losing streak after choosing to skip his home Olympics in Paris

Follow us on Google Discover

Adrian Mannarino may well be ruing the missed opportunity of a home Olympics as he slides down the rankings.

The Paris Olympics has seen a long-list of high profile absentees with WTA and ATP stars dropping out for many different reasons.

While injuries have hampered the hopes of top seed Jannik Sinner, as well as Alex de Minaur and Hubert Hurkacz, Adrian Mannarino simply skipped the games out of choice.

The former world number 17 however is having a totally rubbish summer, with his early exploits on the American hardcourts providing no joy whatsoever.

Mannarino is still technically the fourth highest ranked French male player in the rankings and has had a bizarrely topsy-turvy year, having both reached his career-high ranking, but also seen some of the worst form of his career.

Adrian Mannarino looks like he couldn’t buy a win

The Frenchman has struggled to find his form in the states, ahead of the US Open where he was seeded 22nd and made the third round.

However, in both the grass of Newport and the blue hard courts in Atlanta and Washington, Mannarino lost dismally to three players outside the top 100, extending his record to just two wins in his last 20.

After having received bye’s in the earlier rounds, Mannarino succumbed to the towering Reilly Opelka, who has played just six matches this year, returning in July after an eight-month hiatus.

Denis Shapovalov surprised Mannarino 6-2 6-1 in the second round in Washington on Tuesday in a one-sided match that lasted just 58 minutes.

While his unorthodox style has historically seen Mannarino beat the likes of Taylor Fritz and Daniil Medvedev, the Frenchman clearly has lost his way as he looks condemned to continuing this miserable run.

Competing at the Olympics would’ve made no difference to Adrian Mannarino’s form

Emma Raducanu’s decision to opt out of the Olympics was met with astonishment from GB teammate Heather Watson, who couldn’t understand the choice not to represent your nation on the most prestigious stage.

While both Raducanu and Mannarino have played for their countries in events like the United Cup or the Billie Jean King Cup, missing a home games feels especially strange.

With three Frenchmen above him in the ATP rankings with Mannarino currently the ATP 32, it is arguable that his role would’ve been unlikely anyway.

Moreover, Mannarino has not enjoyed huge success at Roland Garros, only ever making the second round.

The dismal run was existent before the Olympics, and with it having continued while the games has unfolded, Mannarino’s unfortunate defense is that he would likely have lost in the first round in Paris too.