Benoît Paire Returns to Challengers: 'I Nearly Retired Last Year,' But Fight Continues

Out Since September and Beyond Top 900, Benoît Paire Loses Egyptian Challenger Debut but Reveals Retirement Scare

© JULIEN KAMMERER / DPPI VIA AFP

Jules Hypolite

le 19/01/2026 à 21h30

1 min to read

Durasovic Viktor Paire Benoit

With the Australian Open in full swing, Benoît Paire, absent from the tour since September and ranked outside the top 900, resumed competition this week in a Challenger.

At 36, the Avignon native continues his journey on the Challenger Tour, still searching for those sensations and hoping to compete, perhaps one last time, in the season's biggest events.

"I hesitated to retire last year"

As a wild card into the Soma Bay Challenger in Egypt, the Frenchman fell in the first round to Viktor Durasovic, world No. 323, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

On Instagram, Paire, despite the defeat, expressed his joy at being back on court:

"Very, very happy to be back on a tennis court. I hesitated to retire at the end of last season because I had too much back pain, but with lots of treatment and strengthening exercises, I feel much better.

Everything isn't perfect, far from it, but soon, with more training, I'll be able to play at a very high level if my body holds up."