The 37-year-old Frenchman, Adrian Mannarino, isn’t your typical professional tennis player. He has a unique approach to his game, and he’s someone who doesn’t prefer to know his opponent’s identity until shortly before the match. He avoids looking at the draw and only finds out who he’s playing about an hour before stepping onto the court. “I always try to keep it as long as I can (to find out who he is playing) because I just don’t want to think too much,” he said during the AO last year. According to him, knowing his opponent’s details in advance can lead to unnecessary mental preparation and anxiety, potentially distracting him from his own performance.
Different players have different approaches, but last year at the 2024 AO, he stunned everyone by winning three consecutive five-setters before going down to Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the fourth round. When asked about his secret to success, he replied, “I started [drinking] tequila.” The crowd couldn’t stop laughing at his hilarious reply. This man must be fun to work with!
Who is Adrian Mannarino’s Coach?
Born on 29 June 1988, at Soisy-sous-Montmorency, France, Adrian Mannarino started playing tennis at the age of 5. He grew up admiring the fellow left-hander Marcelo Ríos. Mannarino became a pro in 2004, and almost three years later at the 2007 French Open, he made his Grand Slam debut. Over this span of 21 years, the Frenchman has won five titles in singles. His tennis journey has been full of ups and downs, but if asked to name a person who has closely followed this Frenchman through every thick and thin, then it would definitely be his coach, Erwann Tortuyaux.
He has been Adrian Mannarino’s physical trainer since June 2015. If we take a look at his performance during this phase, other than making a few long runs at the majors, Mannarino reached a career-high of number 17 on 29 January 2024, becoming France’s number one player at 35 years old. So, these have been some of his remarkable feats under Tortuyaux. Other than Tortuyaux, Mannarino has also been working with Arnaud Agniel (working with Mannarino since 2017).
Adrian Mannarino’s Coaching History and Influences
Known for his distinctive left-handed play, Adrian Mannarino got his father, Florent (a tennis coach himself), to guide him in his initial days. Throughout the years, Mannarino has carved a niche for himself in the tennis world through his strategic gameplay and consistency on grass and hard courts.
Other than his father, Adrian Mannarino’s game has been tuned by both Erwann Tortuyaux and Jean-Christophe Faurel. In fact, Faurel has played a key role in refining his technique and mindfulness on the court. Under their guidance, Mannarino has demonstrated an ability to compete against some of the top players in the world, making appearances in all four Grand Slam tournaments and also reaching his career-high ranking in the later phase of his career.
Image Credits: Adrian Mannarino/IG
Talking about competing against the best, the 2023 season was his best. In that season, he not only won three titles but also defeated three Top 10 players (Hubert Hurkacz, Daniil Medvedev, and Taylor Fritz) in the same year.
Impact of Coaching on Mannarino’s Career Progression
Nicknamed ‘Manna’, Adrian Mannarino’s first title triumph came at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships ATP 250 event in 2019. That title came after losing his first exit finals on the ATP Tour. In 2022, he won his second ATP title by defeating Laslo Djere in the final of the Winston-Salem Open. His third title triumph at the 2023 Hall of Fame Open, while the fourth and fifth came at the Astana Open and Sofia Open, respectively. Under Erwann Tortuyaux, Mannarino had a lot of success during those two years.
Coaching Philosophy and Style with Erwann Tortuyaux
Adrian Mannarino enjoys playing on all surfaces and considers volley his best shot. Divining deeper into his playing style, Mannarino is a defensive baseliner and counterpuncher. He is a master at redirecting the pace and putting his opponents in uncomfortable positions. Mannarino often uses his left-handed serve to full effect to create angles and run his opponents from side to side. Even his incredible speed and consistency from the baseline are two of his lethal weapons in his game. He loves outsmarting his opponents.
This year, Mannarino reached the third round of Wimbledon. Talking about his performance on grass, his coach Tortuyaux said, “I looked at the numbers and Adrian is one of the few players whose return stats don’t deteriorate on grass.”
Even last year in another interview, Erwann Tortuyaux heaped praise on Adrian Mannarino’s ability to outsmart his opponents. “He has an exceptional eye. Visually, you might think he doesn’t have any power, but on the courtside, you can see it coming off the racket quickly. Like a judoka, he uses his opponent’s strength.” Not only that, he further went on to claim, “He is a master tactician, a formidable chess player. He plays to his strengths, without making circles like Nadal, but he perfectly manages the depth and angles of a tennis court. He knows how to neutralize his opponent’s strong shot, take away time by taking the ball earlier, slow down the game, and finish the point with his strong shots.“
Personal and Family Coaching Influences
Adrian Mannarino comes from a sporting family. His parents, Florent and Annie Mannarino, have five children, and Adrian is the second youngest of his siblings. He was encouraged by both his elder brothers to pursue a career in tennis. His brother, Morgan Mannarino, and sister, Iris Mannarino, had even competed on the Futures circuit.
Their father, Florent Mannarino, also played tennis and is a personal development coach by profession. He also worked as a tennis coach in a club, while their mother, Annie, is a school teacher by profession. But she provided complete support to her son’s career. So, Adrian Mannarino’s family has been quite instrumental in his tennis journey. His father, especially, played a pivotal role in sharpening his tennis skills in the early days.
Now, if we take a look at Mannarino’s season, he is currently ranked 89th in the world and has a win-loss record of 7-10. His best result this season came at the Hall of Fame Open, where he reached the final. So far at the Cincinnati Open, he has also looked quite impressive. He is currently on a four-match winning streak in this tournament, and guess what? Adrian Mannarino is yet to drop a set in this tournament. Can he force a major upset by defeating Tommy Paul in the R32?
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