Since 1989, Yannick Noah lives a romance with Erika Wollveber, a young Californian. But an argument between the two lovebirds will upset the career of the famous French tennis player.
This household scene, Yannick Noah will probably never forget it. We are in 1990, seven years after his historic victory at Roland-Garros. Yannick Noah competes in the Australian Open in Melbourne. The French tennis player comes from qualify for the semi-finals by beating the American Pete Sampras, and taking advantage of the disqualification of John McEnroe. But the night before his match against Czechoslovakian Ivan Lendl, his Californian girlfriend, Erika Wollveber, tells him a household scene “that lasts all night”, explains the player in the columns of Tennis Magazine six years later.
The next day, Yannick Noah pays the price. “I arrive on the court completely upside down, and I lose without playing. A waste, because I was playing my best tennis”, he recalls. Completely missed this meeting, Yannick Noah is eliminated at the gates of the Australian Open final. An episode that precipitates the end of his career. The player then chained a few early defeats, before retiring, a few months after a last big missed match.
Yannick Noah swaps his racket for the song
Alongside sport, Joakim Noah’s father does his first steps in the song. The title that will launch his career as a singer is Africa Saga, from his debut album Black&What. In 1991, Yannick Noah takes the reins of the French tennis team for the Davis Cup. The Musketeers, led by their captain, crush the United States. In the stands, the song Africa Saga is broadcast to celebrate France’s victory. The players, euphoric, ignite the court. An anthology dance.
Photo credits: Perusseau-Veeren / Bestimage