The UNIQLO Interview: Pauline Deroulede
On 27 October 2018, Pauline Deroulede was sitting on her stationary scooter on a Parisian sidewalk when she was struck by an elderly driver who had lost control of their vehicle. Deroulede takes up the story.
“I immediately lost my left leg upon impact,” the 32-year-old, who is a descendent of French poet, playwright and novelist Paul Deroulede, tells itftennis.com. “In that moment, I realised that my life would never be the same again.
“A few hours after the accident in the hospital’s recovery room – my loved ones were there, relieved that I was alive – I told them, ‘don’t worry, I’m going to compete at the Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024.
“That’s where it all started. I absolutely needed to set an ambitious goal for myself at that exact moment, and I knew competing in sports at the highest level would save me.”
Deroulede was true to her word and, being a lifelong tennis fan who had played the game socially, took up wheelchair tennis as she believed that represented her best chance of realising her Paralympic dream.
“When I initially considered wheelchair tennis a few months after my accident, I had a lot of preconceptions about wheelchairs and I didn’t fully grasp the physical aspect,” said Deroulede.
“Eventually, I gave it a try and instantly fell in love with it. In September 2019, I embarked on this new sports journey, although I had to endure a lot of frustration watching balls go by that I couldn’t reach.
“I knew I had ground to make up compared to other players on the tour, so I trained even harder. It was necessary.”
Over the ensuing years, Deroulede has improved immeasurably and has risen to a career-high No. 13 in the world rankings after winning a host of trophies across singles and doubles.
In short, she has come a long way since those early days and contesting the Paralympic Games in the city of her birth is now within range.
Indeed, the countdown to Paris 2024 is on and with less than a year to go until the start of the Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event, which gets underway on 30 August, anticipation is building.
According to IPC President Andrew Parsons, Paris 2024 is set to be the most spectacular Paralympics in history. For Deroulede, there are many reasons why the Games – a beacon of hope when she was at her lowest ebb – represents a defining moment.
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“Roland Garros is the tournament that inspired me to play tennis,” added Deroulede. “I've always lived very close to the stadium and had stars in my eyes.
“It's very moving for me to think that I will be competing in my first Games at this legendary stadium, with the French audience. It's a dream come true.
“Before I took up wheelchair tennis, I had heard of [Paralympic silver medallist at London 2012] Stephane Houdet – he was one of the role models I drew inspiration from when I started playing.
“I had seen some of his matches at Roland Garros and found them impressive. Unfortunately, in France, para sports were not as exposed back then as they are now. I can’t wait to play my part in highlighting the sport on such a big stage.”
Deroulede is currently competing at the US Open Wheelchair Championships but lost her first-round match in the wheelchair women’s singles to serial Grand Slam winner Diede de Groot – no disgrace there.
However, her previous event was the Swiss Open where she defeated Aniek van Koot and Dana Mathewson, both of whom are ranked higher. Deroulede wants more victories like this as she builds towards next year's Para extravaganza.
“It's part of my goals on the journey towards Paris 2024, defeating Top 10 players and those who have been playing for years with much more experience than me,” she said. “I have one more year to keep improving. The road to Paris 2024 is long.
“There is another year ahead and I hope it will be filled with victories and success. My goal is to keep facing the best players in the world and to defeat Diede de Groot – there, I've said it!”
While it is towards the top of her list, Deroulede has other ambitions aside from Paris 2024 and indeed away from the tennis court. Since her accident, she has campaigned vigorously for medical tests to be introduced in France to ensure drivers are fit and able to be on the road.
“The circumstances of my accident struck me deeply,” said Deroulede. “The 92-year-old driver confused the accelerator and brake pedals. I found it astonishing that, in my country, people can continue driving until they pass away without any medical evaluation.
“I then met with government officials to initiate a comprehensive effort to reform the driver's licence system in France and introduce regular medical check-ups for all drivers, with more frequent assessments starting at a certain age.
"In all other neighbouring countries, there's a limited age at which individuals must undergo medical evaluation. In France, the car represents freedom and is held in high regard, making it challenging to change mindsets.
“However, there's progress happening, and I have unwavering confidence that we will achieve it. I am deeply involved and collaborating with multiple ministers on these issues related to driving fitness. It’s a long battle to win.”
The next 12 months could be extremely gratifying for Deroulede, who is nothing short of an inspiration. See you in Paris, Pauline.