A William Carey University tennis player had the opportunity of a lifetime when he was chosen as practice partner for Novak Djokovic, who won the French Open on Sunday.
Why was Leo Bresson chosen as Djokovic’s practice partner? Because he’s left-handed.
Djokovic rallied from two sets down to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the French Open final, but before that could happen, Djokovic had to get past Rafael Nadal in a semifinal match.
Nadal is a 13-time winner of the French Open with an overall record of 105-2 — and a left-handed player.
That’s where Bresson, a native of Virey City in Normandy, France, came in.
“Nadal is a lefty, so Novak was looking for a left-handed practice partner to get the perfect preparation,” said WCU head tennis coach Marc Lux in a media release. “Leo is a lefty, too, and was chosen to be his practice partner the day before the semifinal.
“Novak Djokovic ended up beating Rafael Nadal and considered the match to be one of the best three he’s ever played.”
Bresson said it was an amazing experience to share the court with Djokovic.
“Not many people get to train with the No. 1 in the world in a Grand Slam Tournament like the French Open,” Bresson said in the release. “He is 100% going to be a legend in this sport. He is already, but in the end, I think he will have more Grand Slams than Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal.”
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics ranked Bresson second in singles during much of the 2020-21 season at William Carey, located in Hattiesburg. He was also named NAIA Rookie of the Year and earned a spot as a NAIA First Team All-American.
A senior, Bresson will return to Mississippi in the fall to complete an MBA at the WCU School of Business.
Contact reporter Laurel Thrailkill at lthrailkill@gannett.com or on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Novak Djokovic trains with Mississippi college student