Iranian-French player Bahrami clinched the first two games and went on to win the first set 6-3, with Santora – and the umpire – turning a blind eye to some of the (borderline cheating) trick shots by tennis’s ‘Court Jester’. With the pair wearing headsets, spectators were fully immersed in the spectacle and practically privy to their innermost thoughts. The camaraderie between the two friends was apparent, with equal measures of jibes, heckling, compliments and encouragement from both. Santoro, 49, and Bahrami, who turns 66 in April, both currently reside in Paris and regularly practice together. My kids, my family, my wife are all in France.DUBAI – To taunts of “Come on, grandpa!” from friendly tennis rival Patrice Santoro, Mansour Bahrami opened their men’s singles exhibition match at the Expo Sports Arena as Expo 2020 Dubai’s Tennis Week continued this evening (20 February). I just go see my family for two or three days every two years. I make people laugh and I love that.ĭo you ever go to Iran and get involved with tennis there now? Sometimes I look at my videos and I just laugh. Have you ever surprised yourself with the things you’re able to do with a racquet? But still, the people give me enough energy to continue. I’m almost 60 years old now, and it’s becoming physically not as easy as it was 10-15 years ago. They gave me the energy to continue and play. I’m there to make it fun for them and I get a lot of pleasure playing. They like me because they know I’m not faking it. I can’t imagine my life without tennis and the people. Having been forbidden to play the sport in Iran and it taking a long time to gain French citizenship, were you ever close to giving up the sport? That was a dream for me, to play a final in Roland Garros and that dream came true when I was 30 years old.Ĭoming where I came from, I’m very proud.
So what was it like being in a grand slam final after all this time? I won some events and I got to the French Open doubles final, but all that after the age of 30. By the time I got my French citizenship, I started to play the ATP tournaments. I played only amateur tournaments in France for six and a half years.
THE COURT JESTER MANSOUR BAHRAMI PROFESSIONAL
For two or three years I hadn’t played tennis at all because it was forbidden in Iran and going to France, I literally lost 10 of my best years between age 20 to 30 as I didn’t play professional tennis. It wasn’t easy because I went to France and I didn’t know anybody, I didn’t speak the language. Was it difficult to leave Iran and start a life in France? I never played tennis to become rich or to make money but it happens now that people pay me to play tennis. If I had a coach he would tell me, ‘Mansour, stop this nonsense and play serious tennis’.īut this is the way I like tennis. Those days were very important for me and I could say the reason I play the way I play is because I never had a lesson. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Sport360 caught up with the 58-year-old on the sidelines of the Tennis at the Palace exhibition in Abu Dhabi, to find out more about his path to prominence. The trick-shot specialist, nicknamed the Court Jester, made the 1989 French Open doubles final aged 33 and shot to fame after he retired from professional tennis, thanks to his showmanship and wizardry with a racquet. He had to wait a long time to become a legal citizen there in order to be eligible to play on the ATP tour. One of the most famous characters in today’s legends’ doubles scene, Bahrami’s success came very late in his career after he spent years unable to practise the sport in Iran before he moved to France. If you haven’t seen him play or ‘perform’ yet, it’s a must!” Iranian-born Frenchman Mansour Bahrami is a true magician on a tennis court and the things he can do with a racquet have driven people like John McEnroe to call him a “genius”, Bjorn Borg to dub him a “legend” and Roger Federer to say: “Mansour makes tennis so much fun. Indian Wells: Halep handles the pressure to secure victory Down the line: Federer and Djokovic a cut above the rest
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