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But regardless of the topic, there remains a consistent depth to his character. It is unlikely, for instance, that too many people Mayot's age would offer Wind of Change by Scorpions as their favourite song. After all, it was originally released in 1991 – a good decade before he was born. The magic of the moment – a lyric often used within this piece – would appear, from a distance at least, to reflect an enigmatic quality to Mayot's make-up. But however intriguing that is, there is no mistaking his current on-court prowess. Mayot enjoyed a blistering final few months of 2019, which saw him rise as high as No.4 in the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Rankings presented by IMG Academy behind Denmark's Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune, Jonas Forejtek of Czech Republic and Japans Shintaro Mochizuki. Rune, Forejtek and Mochizuki were all crowned Junior Grand Slam winners last year, and while that prize has so far eluded Mayot – his best finish during the previous campaign was reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon – his form would very much appear on an upward curve. After winning the boys' singles at JA Osaka – one half of a French double after Diane Parry triumphed in the girls' draw – Mayot proceeded to reach the final of October's ITF Junior Finals in Chengdu where he fell to Rune. He then reached the singles final at M25 Saint Dizier, where he won the doubles alongside compatriot Antoine Cornut Chauvinc, before triumphing at M15 Villers Les Nancy – all of which reflects Metz-born Mayot's outlook on career progression. "My ambition is to improve every day, both as a tennis player and as a person," said Mayot, whose dream, unsurprisingly, is to play on Court Philippe Chatrier. "I am not one of those players who says that I want to win a Grand Slam or will do this or that. "Obviously I want to do that, compete for the biggest trophies and be in the top 10 players in the world, then the top five and aim to be No.1. But the most important thing is to improve as a person and enjoy my tennis, which is what I aim to do every day." Mayot started playing tennis aged four, while eight years later he moved to Paris to train with the French Tennis Federation and started to view the sport as a professional calling more than a social pursuit. He is now under the tutelage of former Top 10 player Thierry Tulasne, someone who he holds in incredibly high regard. During his run to the finale of the ITF Junior Finals, Mayot overpowered two Junior Grand Slam winners in the form of Forejtek and Mochizuki and was only too happy to divert the plaudits towards Tulasne. "I think I am playing the best tennis of my career," added Mayot, who after losing twice to the Dane in Chengdu cited Rune as the toughest opponent he has faced. "In beating Jonas and Shintaro, I overcame two players who have won Junior Grand Slams and those were my two best performances. "I work very hard with my coach and I learn a lot from him. He is like my second father and I truly believe in him. We work very hard together and it's because of him that I play well." While the focus engulfed Rune following his victory at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre, Mayot cut a forlorn figure slumped on his bench. But even in the throes of defeat, there was a considered response. "There are always positives to take as well as negatives. Sometimes you can learn as much from defeat as victory," added Mayot. No Pain No Gain was another Scorpions song which might be applicable to Mayot's mindset at this time, while taking a broader outlook New Generation might be more appropriate. n ITFWorld // WINTER 2019/20 3 5 Mayot signing his autograph at the 2019 ITF Junior Finals The teenager finished runner-up in Chengdu, losing to Rune in the tournament's final Mayot and France finished in second place at the 2018 Junior Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Finals Mayot reached the semi-finals of the boys' draw at Wimbledon during 2019 For further in-depth interviews with players who made a big impression within the junior ranks in 2019 and have been tipped for a bright future, visit www.itftennis.com/juniors

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