Who doesn’t love a good comeback story?
On Sunday, Lucas Pouille defeated sixth seed Jozef Kovalík, 6-3, 6-3, to triumph in Mauthausen. The victory cemented the 30-year-old’s first ATP Challenger title in five years, as he continues to make an inspiring climb back up the proverbial mountain.
In 2018, Pouille cracked the Top 10 of the ATP rankings. The following season, he emerged as a Grand Slam semifinalist at the Australian Open.
But toward the latter part of 2019, a right elbow injury set off the beginning of a dark period for the Frenchman. Struggling to regain his fitness and form, Pouille nearly walked away from the sport for good in 2022 when alcohol became a coping mechanism for his battle with depression.
