After 7 operations, De Loore reappeared by winning the championship: ‘It makes me happy’ | Tennis

Joris De Loore has been out of the spotlight for quite some time. His last title in the ITF circuit dates back to 2016. Due to injuries and no fewer than 7 surgeries, he was never able to live up to his great promise.

Until last week, he came to whistle again in Toulouse by winning the championship. “It makes a lot of sense,” he says. “Sure, after such a long time. I’ve been through a rough time.”

De Laure’s story was one of injury. “My last surgery was in December. Three or four months later I started playing tennis again. It’s good that this win is already coming. I didn’t surprise myself because I knew the level was there. It shows a little bit better on the hard courts.”

De Loore needed 7 consecutive matches to win the championship. “It’s been a long week, but the level has been very good. From the first round of the main draw I managed to maintain my level.”

“And perhaps most importantly: my body is resilient. Although I had some problems with my back in the last two games. It was totally banned, but I did everything I could to be able to play anyway. Now I feel like I’m here and there are some pains there, but that’s not Necessary. I can definitely still play the way it is now.”

“Now I play another Challenger in Tenerife and then two more in Italy. Then I build a rest and then I am working on a good preparation to be really there next year.”

“I am very motivated to be one of the best Belgians again. With the way I am playing now, it could be a good year. And there is still a lot of margin. I am not far from my best level. So far I feel like I am playing better than before. I especially need to beat matches at a high level.”

Where does De Loore still set the standard for himself? “It’s still high. I’ve always said I want to improve my personal rating record. My first goal is to get back to 150. But in reality, I basically hope my body keeps it, then the results will follow.”