Arthur Rinderknech: He Went to College in America & Reached ATP Top 30 at 29

Mar 10, 2026

Arthur Rinderknech, a French pro who went to Texas A&M and climbed into the ATP Top 30, shares his non-traditional rise. He talks about quitting at 18 to study, the French vs American sporting mindsets, nearly leaving tennis, calling Lucas Pouille for help, learning to train less and win more, and what late-career success feels like at 29.

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INSIGHT

US College Accelerated His Development

Arthur found US college tennis offered structured coaching and development that France often lacked for late bloomers.
He credits coach Steve Denton and a focused program for rapid physical and technical growth during college.

ANECDOTE

One Year And A Half Career Deadline

Arthur signed a personal deadline: give pro tennis one year and a half to reach top 250 or stop pursuing the tour.
He financed the push with ~30k, played leagues in summers, and treated it as an all-in trial with no parental support.

INSIGHT

Late Start Left Him Fresher On Tour

Starting the tour later left Arthur mentally fresher: he views himself as a 'rookie' with less wear from years on the circuit.
He sees late entry as an advantage against players burned out from early starts.

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Arthur Rinderknech didn't follow the typical ATP blueprint. At 18, when most aspiring pros were grinding Futures tournaments, he chose to go to university in the United States — a decision that French tennis culture saw as giving up. Today, he's ranked inside the ATP Top 30 and one of the most interesting stories on the men's tour.

In this episode, Arthur joins Caroline Garcia and Borja for an unfiltered conversation covering:

Growing up in a tennis family without pressure — and why that made all the difference
Why he walked away from the pro circuit at 18 and headed to Texas A&M
The French vs American mentality — and what Europe gets completely wrong about sport
The moment he nearly quit tennis for good (and the psychologist who changed everything)
Working with Lucas Pouille — and learning to train LESS to win MORE
Playing his own cousin in an ATP final in Shanghai (and what the odds on that would have paid)
What it actually feels like to reach Top 30 at 29 — and why late success hits differently

⏱ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction — Arthur's tennis origin story

12:10 The deal with himself: Top 250 in 18 months or stop forever

15:00 Why starting at 22 vs 18 changes everything

20:30 French vs American mindset — not being afraid of anybody

28:50 "I told my wife I wasn't sure I'd keep going"

33:20 No racket for 2.5 weeks — one week before Roland Garros

37:00 The late-night idea: calling Lucas Pouille

44:00 What he learned from Lucas: train less, win more

49:10 US Open R16: hitting only 10 minutes between matches

54:30 Playing his own cousin in the Shanghai ATP final

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