"I feel like I'm on the right track and that it's going to continue"

Adrian Mannarino had a very complicated first half of the season, marked by a drop out of the Top 100.

But he has regained form recently, as shown by his round of 16 appearance in Cincinnati after coming through the qualifiers.

He made a successful start at the US Open by defeating Tallon Griekspoor, finishing the match with a 6-0 set.

In comments relayed by Tennis Actu, Mannarino discussed the doubts he faced and hopes to continue playing for a long time: "Deep down, I hope I don’t have to hang up my rackets.

Lately, it hasn’t been so bad; you can digest a 3 and 4 loss. But I heard people around me, not necessarily to my face, but I could feel them saying that maybe it was time to step down.

It’s hard not to think about it when you see your ranking drop. You can still live well, but when you feel like you’re no longer a good player, a feeling I had at some tournaments, it’s hard to take.

I still enjoy traveling just as much, I have great people around me, and I have a good time on the tour. It’s a fantastic job, and I’ll play for as long as I can.

Often, the biggest barrier is the one we set for ourselves, wondering if we’re still capable of competing at the big events. I feel like I’m on the right track and that it’s going to continue."

Mannarino will face Jordan Thompson in the second round of the US Open.