My Olympic Memory: Michael Llodra

Like the Davis Cup it’s the kind of thing I was always dreaming about when I was younger. I still do remember the semifinal in London… It was a totally insane match! All the more because personally I had already experienced with Arnaud Clement in Beijing that we lost a match in 4 hours 48 minutes and then lost again the match for the medal… So being in a position to relive that.

In London we saved three match points on my serve at 0-40 and I’m still able to serve for the match, and they lead 0-30 and we finally won the match. It was… (sigh) imposing. At that moment everything stops. Jo [Tsonga] holds me in his arms. It was an outstanding moment.

It was fabulous on the podium. And special. Because there were the No. 1s in the world who had defeated us in turn [the Bryans in the final] but we were four French guys, four friends, on the podium. There was no ‘Marseillaise’ but we were super proud to be there and to be able to bring back home two medals for French sport.

I feel proud, I feel emotional. I have the feeling I gave it everything in order to go and win this medal. I was so close in Athens [reached the doubles quarterfinals] and it hurt so much that I couldn’t even imagine that I would someday get another chance. A little bit like the first time I lost in a Grand Slam final. But in fact with a lot of perseverance you can finally do it.

I do remember in Beijing, with Arnaud, we had lost after the match that lasted 4 hours 48 and it was something like 3 or 4 am. A few hours later we had the [bronze] match for the medal going on. We were in the same room and we were trying to sleep. Arnaud said, “It’s going to be hard to sleep, right?” Me: “Well! It’s gonna be complicated for sure!’ And… the alarm rang. It was like we were just talking 15 seconds before.

So we woke up finally having slept three or four hours and I told Arnaud: “We won’t be able to play!” Because of the emotions, of the nerves, of the duration of the match, of the late finish, we were pallid. The moment you wake up you know that it’s going to be very complicated… But we gave it everything, we were up a set and a break point, that we didn’t convert. And then it all backfired (smile). I do remember as if it was yesterday. On the same evening we went to the restaurant and then we bought cookies and took pictures with them as if they were medals. It was dreadful.

Winning a medal brought me acknowledgment from French sport. I’ve been decorated but frankly I’m not really into that. The decoration is not the most important thing. I’ve been experiencing this from inside and I’ve been able to share it with my family and I know that I’ve been chasing this medal with all my guts. And this is what I’m really, really proud of.