Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French tennis player, is gearing up to compete in the Roland Garros tournament playing the first round against Novak Djokovic. However, behind the scenes, he has been dealing with a deeply personal and emotional situation involving his son, Léandre.
A Long Journey
“What comes to mind is the ordeal we experienced with our son Léandre,” Herbert revealed. “He has been seriously ill and in good health since April 9. Playing on the Court Philippe-Chatrier after spending two weeks at the Necker hospital in Paris and a month at the hospital in Basel… it was a long journey.”
A Parent’s Nightmare
When Léandre was just four months old, he started having seizures. Initially, they were mistaken for simple seizures, but they turned out to be hypoglycemic seizures. Léandre was diagnosed with hyperinsulinism, a condition where the body produces too much insulin even when blood sugar levels are very low. Repeated hypoglycemia can severely damage the brain.
The Strength of Survival
Herbert, who was ranked 400th in the world at the time, faced a daunting challenge. “Taking your son into the operating room is complicated,” he shared. “They removed what wasn’t working well and told us that Léandre is cured. My son helped me fight. It was impressive to see the strength he could have at less than 1 year old.”
Roland Garros as a Reward
Despite the emotional rollercoaster, Herbert sees Roland Garros as a reward. “With my history and all the battles I have faced, I view this tournament as a celebration,” he explained. Facing Novak Djokovic on Court Philippe-Chatrier will be a significant moment for Herbert, but his son’s health journey remains at the forefront of his mind.
Pierre-Hugues Herbert in 2024
Now ranked no.142, Herbert played his last match on the 18th of May when he surrendered to world no.250 Javier Barranco Cosano 7-6(5) 4-6 7-5
in the qualifications in Lyon (draw).Currently, during this season Pierre-Hugues has achieved a 18-13 match record. The French player conquered 1 title in the Quimper Challenger. The French player was the finalist in the Naples Challenger.
Pierre-Hugues Herbert will play the world no.1 Novak Djokovic in the 1st round on Tuesday at 8:15 pm on Court PHILIPPE-CHATRIER. Their head to head is 1-0
for Djokovic.Herbert has won 1 title in 2024 in the Quimper Challenger. Pierre-Hugues was the finalist in the Naples Challenger.
Novak Djokovic in 2024
Ranked no.1, Djokovic played his last match on the 24th of May when he was defeated by world no.34 Tomas Machac 6-4 0-6 6-1 in the semifinal in Geneva (draw).
Currently, during this year Novak has an overall 14-6 match record. Novak Djokovic’s most significant accomplishment of the present season was reaching the semifinal at the Australian Open, Monte Carlo and Geneva.
Novak Djokovic will fight against the world no.142 Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the 1st round on Tuesday at 8:15 pm on Court PHILIPPE-CHATRIER. Their record is 1-0 for Djokovic.
Djokovic won 99 titles in his career: 53 on hard courts, 19 on clay courts, 19 on indoor courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Djokovic has scheduled to compete next at the Wimbledon (Wimbledon). He will begin to play the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 1st of July.
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Novak Djokovic faced off just once. Their current record is 1-0 for Djokovic. When they played, Novak Djokovic won 7-6(3) 6-3 in the 2nd round in Paris (BNP Paribas Masters) in October 2013.