Cannot eat, cannot see: Hugo Dellien’s weird path to a Challenger Tour hat-trick! | ATP Tour

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Cannot eat, cannot see: Dellien’s weird path to a Challenger Tour hat-trick!

The Bolivian is a 12-time ATP Challenger Tour champion

August 13, 2024

The ache was sudden. There was a pounding in his head. Hugo Dellien was awake in the course of the evening. To make issues extra irritating, the Bolivian was competing that week in qualifying for Roland Garros, the clay-court main the place in 2022 he beat two-time finalist Dominic Thiem within the opening spherical.

However this yr’s journey to the Parisian clay for Dellien was the start of a troublesome interval for the 31-year-old, who has since rotated his misfortune for 3 ATP Challenger Tour titles up to now month. Dellien fell within the first spherical of Roland Garros qualifying and shortly returned dwelling to South America to handle the immense ache in his mouth that ache capsules couldn’t subside.

“It was a troublesome time as a result of I had quite a lot of issues with my knowledge tooth. I took out three knowledge tooth,” Dellien advised ATPTour.com. “A lot ache in my head. I couldn’t eat something, simply ice cream. In the event you take out only one knowledge tooth, you may eat. However not with three.

“I selected to get the three out as a result of it’s one time after which no extra. It was a tough second.”

Two days after competing in France, Dellien underwent knowledge tooth extraction. And in his first match again, the Santa Fe Challenger, adversity hit as soon as once more in a freak accident.

In his second-round match, Dellien was struck within the eye with the ball, which deflected off his racquet body whereas he was at internet.

“I didn’t see something in my proper eye. No irritation or something, however I couldn’t proceed as a result of I couldn’t see good and I had quite a lot of ache in my head and in my eyes too,” Dellien recalled. “Unhealthy luck this time.”

In a uncooked second, Dellien visibly grew annoyed as he tried to proceed the match. His arduous work was being crushed by occasions out of his management. He retired shortly after struggling the attention harm and proceeded to see a health care provider in Buenos Aires, the place he has lived since transferring from Bolivia at age 17.

“The physician mentioned to me, ‘It’s a must to shut your eyes 20 hours [a day], as a result of the attention will get higher alone. You don’t want a tablet or medical remedy, it can get higher naturally. However it’s important to shut them as a lot time as you may. As a result of while you open them, it’s not recovering’.

“He mentioned it, however in fact I can’t do it. I attempted to do it essentially the most time that I may, however not 20 hours!” Dellien mentioned.

After two weeks away from match motion, it didn’t take lengthy for Dellien to seek out his greatest type. He has gained 17 of his previous 19 Challenger-level matches, together with three titles: Iasi, Romania; Liberec, Czech Republic; and in Bonn, Germany this previous Sunday. Dellien is near returning to the High 100, which he has not been part of since March 2023.

Hugo Dellien wins the Challenger 75 occasion in Bonn, Germany.”>
^{Hugo Dellien wins the Challenger 75 occasion in Bonn, Germany. Credit score: Bonn Open}

Presently World No. 107 within the PIF ATP Rankings, Dellien, who has been as excessive as No. 64, is reaping rewards for his dedication and perseverance.

“I’m very completely happy as a result of for the final six, eight months I wasn’t enjoying good. I didn’t have good outcomes. I labored quite a bit and the outcomes weren’t coming,” Dellien mentioned. “However I believe the help of my household, my staff, all of the those that observe me, gave me the facility to vary the second. I believe now I’m enjoying just a little bit higher. I gained robust matches, acquired some confidence to play higher. I gained Iasi and it modified.”

Dellien lifted the Iasi Challenger title one week faraway from his brother Murkel Dellien claiming his maiden trophy at that stage in Romania. “That is so particular for us,” mentioned Hugo, whose nickname is, ‘La Pantera’, translated as ‘The Panther’.

A 12-time Challenger champion, Dellien credit his household and staff for his or her help in serving to him regain confidence. His spouse Camila gave delivery to twin ladies in January, making them a household of 5. Their first baby, Mila, was born in 2020.

“My spouse is aware of the lifetime of tennis as a result of she was an expert tennis participant too. She is aware of how the work is,” Dellien mentioned. “She mentioned to me, ‘You are able to do it, simply take it straightforward and work arduous.’ The help of my household is an important factor in my life. If I don’t have this help, I can’t do something.”