Tennis : Henri Leconte Says Game Is Fun Again

Henri Leconte has settled in as the No. 2 player from France with the kind of feelings one might have for a pair of old sneakers--they’re comfortable, but a change wouldn’t hurt.

Leconte realizes that if he’s known at all, it’s for things he’d just as soon forget. He restored the Gallic spirit by winning the French Open junior championship in 1980, then along came dreadlocked Yannick Noah to win the real thing. Instant celebrity for Noah and instant nothing for Leconte.

He beat John Lloyd and Ivan Lendl at Wimbledon this year, but lost in the quarterfinals to another instant teen scream, Boris Becker. Becker was even coached by Leconte’s former coach, Ion Tiriac.

Worse, Noah’s emergence prompted stories of the new age of French tennis, even though Leconte had been around for years. Oops, must have overlooked you, Henri. So sorry. Then, after the success of Noah, other young Frenchmen came along in a mini-wave. It was nothing like what Bjorn Borg caused in Sweden, but it was significant.

Suddenly, Leconte went from le premier to Henri the Eighth.

Ce n’est pas rien, no big deal to Leconte. He has been consistently in the top 25 in the world. To show what a big guy he is, he’s teamed with Noah, a good friend, as a successful doubles team.

They have won the doubles title at Stade Roland Garros. And this year they nearly won the doubles championship at the U.S. Open. That’s where the much storied Flach flap occurred. Ken Flach and partner Robert Seguso had split sets with Leconte and Noah. Noah hit a ball that may have grazed Flach’s head. The umpire called the ball out.

The Frenchmen fumed. They argued that if the ball had touched Flach, it was his duty to inform the umpire. Noah is known to argue bad calls, even if they are in his favor. Some players will throw the next point to make up for the call.

As it was, Noah and Leconte lost the point and the set. They played a dispirited fourth set and lost, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-0. Flach and Seguso won their first Grand Slam doubles title amid boos.

Leconte has tried to forget the incident, but Flach’s comments at a tournament here in September brought it up again. Again Leconte is known for something other than his own skill.

“It doesn’t matter to me. He can say what he wants,” Leconte said in a phone interview from his home in Paris. “I think he’s jealous. I think he has a big mouth. He is No. 1 in doubles, but who is he? (John) McEnroe and (Peter) Fleming are not playing together anymore, that is why Flach is winning.”

Leconte said he’s not bitter, just making a point. He said the way he and Noah think about things, poor sportsmanship is an unforgivable sin. Besides, Leconte doesn’t want to dwell on the negative. He’s recently married, to the former wife of Guy Drut, one-time Olympic hurdler for France.

“I’m happy with the way I’m playing right now,” Leconte said. “Sure, Yannick has become the top French player right now, but it’s good for tennis here. He’s a nice guy, too.

“You can see it happening in Germany right now, with Becker. The problem is, they have no one but Becker. It happened with the Swedes.

“Tennis is changing everywhere now. Younger players are coming up. McEnroe is down. I’m changing the way I’m playing. Also, we play so much that it’s dangerous to take time off.

“It’s much different than a few years ago. There is no way you can take six months off. It’s not just the money you would lose, but the rankings. I’m going to take time off, though. I must be happy.”

Leconte seems happy now. And that makes the French, those who have heard of him, very happy, too.

Tennis Notes The French edition of Tennis magazine recently published the results of a poll of 85 professional players. Among the winners: Most fair player, Mats Wilander. He also won most modest. (But was too self-effacing to tell anyone.) Most intelligent--Wojtek Fibak. (He has to be smart to spell his name.) Also receiving votes, John McEnroe. Most generous--Yannick Noah. Funniest--Ilie Nastase, in a landslide. He also was voted craziest. . . . Actress Vanessa Redgrave is expressing an interest in playing the title role in a movie based on Renee Richards’ autobiography.