PARIS (AP) — Tommy Paul, the 12th-seeded American tennis player, expressed his satisfaction after winning his first-round match at the French Open on Sunday, despite being somewhat distracted by the recent repossession of his truck back home in Florida. The match, which took place at the Roland-Garros stadium, saw Paul triumph over Denmark's Elmer Moller with a score of 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3, 6-1, on a day characterized by fluctuating weather conditions, including light rain, heavy winds, and sunshine.
Paul, who made headlines earlier this year as a semifinalist at the Australian Open, revealed that the unfortunate incident concerning his vehicle occurred while he was competing at the Italian Open. The repossession stemmed from his transition to a new bank, during which he unintentionally neglected to update the automatic payment settings for his Ford F-150 truck.
In his own words, Paul reflected on the situation, stating, “I missed, I think it was, like three payments. They came and took it. I didn’t know it happened like that. I didn’t know how quick they would come and grab it — like in the middle of the night.” He humorously noted his newfound interest in “repo” shows, where vehicles are seized late at night, describing this experience as particularly surreal given he was in Europe when it occurred. Fortunately, he was able to recover his truck.
The moment he discovered his truck was missing came when his trainer, who was back in Florida, requested that Paul check their security camera footage for any delivered packages. To his astonishment, Paul found no packages waiting, but instead realized that his truck was no longer in the driveway.
As he scrolled back through the video footage, the 28-year-old athlete recounted, “I’m like, ‘What the hell is going on? There’s a tow truck coming and taking my car!’ I thought it was stolen at first.” Upon understanding what had really happened, Paul took to social media and shared the black-and-white footage of the tow truck taking his vehicle, humorously adding Celine Dion’s iconic song “My Heart Will Go On” as the soundtrack.
Overall, Tommy Paul's experience highlights not only the unpredictable nature of life as a professional athlete, particularly when juggling international competitions and personal responsibilities, but also the importance of staying organized amidst such chaos. His victory on the court serves as a reminder of his resilience and ability to focus, even when faced with unexpected challenges off the court.
Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. For more tennis content and updates, readers can explore additional stories and insights provided by the Associated Press.
