PARIS – Federico Gómez smiles, because at Roland Garros he will play his first Grand Slam. And even more importantly: the past few months have been filled with strong support from fellow players. “Obviously, I’m not alone.”
“At these big tournaments and in the Masters 1000s, many players came up to me, offered their support. A lot of them shared their own experiences, having gone through similar things. We’re not alone — we’re all players, but we’re also people. So I’m happy to have the support of many people on tour,” the Argentine told CLAY in Paris.
In early March, Gómez shared on Instagram his inner struggles with ‘suicidal thoughts’, absence of joy, and emotional imbalance.
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That’s why many of his peers rallied around him. Novak Djokovic was among them. “Stay strong, my friend. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel,” the Serbian wrote on social media. Weeks later, the former world No. 1 invited Gómez to one of his practice sessions during the Miami Open.
“Djokovic really took an interest in me. He’s always attentive, asking how I am, how things are going, how I’m managing everything. That makes me happy and grateful to him and his team, who offered me support,” said the Argentine.
“We all compete on court, and out there we try to beat each other. But off court, there’s a lot of camaraderie and good relationships.”
Currently ranked No. 142 in the world, Gómez appeared smiling on Saturday afternoon in the basement of the Philippe Chatrier stadium, ready to speak to the media. Just hours earlier, he had received the news that he would play a Grand Slam main draw for the first time.
“I was really happy. I didn’t know how to react at first, but yeah, the first feeling was joy — especially after a tough day, having lost in the third round of qualifying.”
“I knew I had to stay calm. Grand Slams are long tournaments. There are withdrawals, uncertainties, players who aren’t 100%, and since the matches are so demanding, players take more precautions. I’m really happy to be in the main draw here at Roland Garros,” he told CLAY.
As a Lucky Loser, he will face North American Aleksandar Kovacevic.
