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The orange boy, or girl, role is a long-standing Australian tradition, where teenage prospects get to practise with, and learn from, the team during a Davis Cup, or Billie Jean King Cup, tie.
Camus contested all four junior grand slams last year, including reaching the French Open boys’ doubles semi-finals with Czech partner Jan Hrazdil.
Camus’ favourite players are Frenchmen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils and Lucas Pouille, but his playing style is similar to world No. 12 de Minaur. He told TA’s website after his Davis Cup experience that he learned “how much it means to play for Australia”.
Camus’ playing style is likened to Australian star Alex de Minaur.Credit: Paul Kane
“Being around Lleyton and those boys was really inspiring and makes me want to get to that level,” Camus said at the time. “I want to be there one day and get my Davis Cup number.”
He was previously coached by Wayne Arthurs, who was part of Australia’s triumphant 2003 Davis Cup squad and made the fourth round at three different grand slams.
Camus becomes the latest player to join France’s playing ranks in the past year, following world
No. 42 Varvara Gracheva (Russia) and 14-year-old budding stars Ksenia Efremova (Russia) and Daniel Jade (Lebanon).
It is not the first time an Australian tennis player has changed nationalities.
Brydan Klein switched to Great Britain in 2013, and Akira Santillan to Japan in 2015 before returning to play under the Australian flag two years later. Former world No. 4 Jo Konta was born in Sydney but moved to England as a 14-year-old and represented Great Britain once she received citizenship.
Ajla Tomljanovic switched allegiances from Croatia to Australia.Credit: Getty Images
Tennis Australia has recruited a number of female players, including Ajla Tomljanovic (Croatia), Daria Saville (Russia), the Rodionova sisters, Anastasia and Arina (Russia) and most recently former top-30 junior Melisa Ercan (Turkey).
Ercan, 18, last year won an international junior event in Traralgon, beating eventual Australian Open junior finalists Alina Korneeva and Mirra Andreeva in the semi-finals and final, respectively.
There are high hopes within TA that Ercan can follow Tomljanovic and Saville and become a top-100 star. Tomljanovic, Saville and Arina Rodionova have all been Australia’s top-ranked woman at different times.
Jelena Dokic also played as a Yugoslavian for several years mid-career before again representing Australia, while Naiktha Bains switched to Great Britain in 2019 but has not come back.
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