The craziest shot in French tennis? Benoît Paire's backward volley at Bercy in 2015
It was at Paris-Bercy, in 2015. A match between two Frenchmen, ignited by Benoît Paire who surprised everyone with an insane backward volley.
On November 3, 2015, Benoît Paire faced Gilles Simon in the second round of the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000. The former, known for his fiery temperament but also his unpredictable playing style, once again pulled a magical shot from his arsenal.
After an outside serve into the advantage court diagonal, Paire managed to execute a perfect backward volley: the ball crossed the net, bounced, and then came back into his own side without Simon being able to touch it. The crowd applauded and the commentators were stunned.
So, even though this shot couldn't prevent his defeat (6-4, 4-6, 6-1), for many, this backward volley perfectly symbolizes the duality of Benoît Paire: genius and unreason, pure talent and unpredictability.
