Lucas Pouille qualifies for French Open 2023 after 'going into depression' and 'sinking into creepy stuff'

Lucas Pouille managed to qualify for the 2023 French Open after battling alcoholism and depression. The former World No. 10 will play in his first Grand Slam tournament after the 2022 French Open, where he lost in the first round.

Lucas Pouille was once the World No. 10 but has fallen to the 670th position, where he currently sits in the ATP rankings.

The man who once defeated Rafael Nadal lost his confidence and his level suffered with it too with his personal life in turmoil as well. Pouille suffered from depression due to his bad results and he revealed some of that in an interview with L'Equipe.

"I started having a darker side and going into a depression that led to me sleeping an hour a night and drinking alone. I was sinking into some creepy stuff. I made the decision to say stop", Lucas Pouille admitted.

The 29-year-old Frenchman hasn't had the best of seasons up to the 2023 French Open. In the weeks prior to the second Grand Slam of the year, Pouille lost to the World No. 504 Tristan Boyer, 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, in the final of the Sarasota challenger. He then lost to the World No. 260 Alex Michelsen, 3-6, 5-7, in the second round of the Tallahassee Challenger.

But something changed in Paris, even though Roland Garros was never his best Grand Slam. On the contrary, it has been his worst, as he's never moved past the third round.

"Do you find it normal that at 28, when I am a father, I cry every night in my hotel room, every time I lose," Pouille remembered the worst of days.

Fortunately for him, it's looking like the Frenchman has turned things around, at least judging by his French Open run.

He beat Tomas Machac in the first round of qualifying, 7-5, 6-3, Chun-hsin Tseng in the second round, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0, and finally, Jurij Rodionov in the third round, 1-6, 7-5, 6-0, qualifying for Roland Garros.

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Lucas Pouille beat Rafael Nadal at the 2016 US Open

Luca Pouille defeated Rafael Nadal at the 2016 US Open

Lucas Pouille's biggest career win came in 2016, when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the US Open, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6.

The win was unexpected, even more so considering Nadal was a break up in the fifth. Pouille somehow managed to claw his way back into to match, but the real drama happened in the tie-break. Pouille couldn't manage to convert any of his first three match points, with two being on serve. Luckily for him, the fourth one was the lucky one.

The Frenchman finished the 2016 US Open in the following round, losing to Gael Monfils in straight sets.