Benneteau's Outburst After France's BJK Cup Failure: "Some Players Did Not Take Responsibility"
After losing to Belgium (2-0) this Friday, France will remain in the second division of the Billie Jean King Cup for another year.
A crushing defeat that will prevent Les Bleues from competing in the playoffs for a spot in the World Group and has sparked the anger of captain Julien Benneteau, as reported by *L’Équipe*:
"It's tough. It’s a bit reflective of women’s tennis in France, with only one player in the Top 100, even though Caroline Garcia has returned to 99th in the world this week. We’re struggling to see a renewal. [...]
This week, some players were exemplary, while others did not take responsibility. There were doubts among all the players.
Caro (Caroline Garcia) was bothered by her back, but at some point, you have to ask yourself: what is my pain threshold, and what is my ability to push through that pain when there’s no risk of making it worse?
What does the French team represent? Where does it rank in my schedule? I’m not just talking about Caroline, there’s also Diane (Parry).
None of them told me: 'It’s going to hurt, it’s going to be tough, but I’ll go for it.' Yet, I was clear with the team—I told them it wasn’t up to Alizé (Cornet) to step in. But when no one gives any guarantees..."
Benneteau also spoke about his players' mindset:
"For me, when I played in the Davis Cup, it was such an honor. And it didn’t matter if it ruined my next tournament. The girls play 30 or 35 tournaments a year—the French team is just two weeks out of that.
Today, they’re in a kind of comfort zone that doesn’t push them to do everything to perform."
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