Yannick Noah has been in the hearts of the French for decades. His victory at Roland Garros in 1983 will be forever remembered and he is still today the only French player to have won a Grand Slam tournament of the Open era in men’s singles. A place that he consolidated after his brilliant career by becoming a successful singer, author of many hits like Saga Africa Where The lionesses. But alongside this brilliant professional life, the 61-year-old star did not forget to build a beautiful and big family. Father of five children, he travels all over the world to be with them.
It was he who introduced them to this taste for travel and adventure at a very young age, as he confided in the documentary broadcast on Sunday, November 21 on Canal +, Dad. From a first marriage with the former model Cecilia Rodhe, he has two children, Joakim (in 1985) and Yéléna (in 1987). So at the height of his glory, the period will prove to be complicated for his children and the celebrity will push him to make a big decision. “It’s heavy because people’s eyes are heavy. The more popular I was, the harder it was for my children.”, remembers Yannick Noah.
We talked with her mom and we said ‘Come on, we’re going to New York’. Because in France, it’s very heavy
The singer then decides to leave France with his family, the situation becoming difficult to live with, especially for his son Joakim. Bored of hearing “your daddy, your daddy, your daddy …” as soon as he introduced himself, the famous former basketball player remembers going through a difficult period. “When I was little, I wanted him to lose sometimes. Because I wanted to come home. Because, daddy, it had to be shared with a lot of people “, says Joakim. Faced with his son’s distress, Yannick Noah does not procrastinate for long. “When we felt that, we immediately left France. We talked with her mom and we said ‘Come on, we’re going to New York’. Because in France, it’s very heavy “, he specifies in the documentary.
A situation that has become too burdensome and a salutary decision for Joakim, who was able to flourish in New York. By doing his ranges on the American basketball courts, he was able to fulfill his dream and become a very high level athlete, just like his father.