A world-class Basque pelota player takes the victory.
This year's Raquette d'Or was unique in many respects… It was the first time that Matthieu Sarlangue, who had won this tournament for more than a decade consecutively, and who had been dethroned by Nicolas Victoir last year, did not take part in the competition. In addition, 2 players (Michel Brunoro and Léa Van der Zwalmen) were injured, one before having played and the other during a match. Furthermore, last year's winner was eliminated by Clément Depreeuw in the semi-finals in a five-set match. Finally, Jean-Baptiste Rossi prevailed by winning 3 consecutive sets after dropping the first to Clément, earning him the title of Gold Racket champion for the 2025/26 season.
Although Jean-Baptiste has only been playing for a few years, he draws on his raw talent for racket sports as well as an exceptional gift for Basque pelota, having competed in 3 world championships and 7 World Cups since 2014. We can expect to see more of this Basque player in the years to come in France, and potentially in international tournaments.
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