They never believed in me," explains Lestienne about the French Tennis Federation

Constant Lestienne, ranked 185th in the ATP rankings this week, gave an interview to the media outlet Clay, in which he discusses his career, his game, and his inspirations.

When asked about the support received from the French Tennis Federation (FFT) during his teenage years, the Frenchman was straightforward:

"The FFT never believed in me. That's why they never helped me. They never cared about me. When I was 15 or 16, they told me I would never be good at tennis.

That I was too small, too thin, that I used drop shots too much, and that my serve wasn't good enough. They told me it wasn't the type of tennis they wanted to promote. It's a pleasure to have proven them wrong.