Richard Gasquet is aiming to embrace what will be a ‘special’ end to his career as he gets set to retire at Roland Garros.
The Frenchman’s 20 year career is set to end at Roland Garros when he takes to court for one final time.
There have been some special memories created for Gasquet who has won 16 ATP titles and reached Grand Slam semi-finals.
However, the Frenchman will be remembered most for his tremendous consistency and work ethic.
One of Gasquet’s greatest rivals at Roland Garros was Rafael Nadal and Gasquet reflected on the first time he played Nadal 20 years ago, “Yeah, it was 20 years ago. I remember it was really hot on the court. I played him three months earlier in Monaco. It was 6-3 in the third. It was a big match. Then I played here against him again three months later. He was different, he was much better than in Monaco,” Gasquet recalled.
“The bounce was really high. It was very tough to play. Of course, he won against me in three sets. He was just better. When I finish the match, I remember my last coach here, I told him he will win Roland Garros for sure this year, in 2005. I wouldn’t imagine he would win 13 times more, but I knew he was going to win the tournament. He was just playing unbelievable.
“He’s one of the biggest athletes that you could ever play against in Roland Garros. He plays fast, he plays strongly, he doesn’t commit errors. It’s unimaginable. But to think that he could have won 14 times. Even at the beginning of my career, I didn’t think he was going to win so many times.
“Maybe I thought he was going to win five or six times. He was an extraordinary player, but it was hard to imagine he could have won so many times. It’s hard to say but it was one of the biggest challenges to play against Rafael Nadal. It’s one of the hardest things to do in tennis. It was the ultimate challenge you could have in tennis.”
Now Gasquet returns to Roland Garros 20 years later as he prepares to bid farewell to the sport he loves so much.
The Frenchman admitted it will be an emotional occasion but one he is prepared to savour, “I’m feeling, of course, it’s my last tournament, so it’s a bit particular, a bit emotional,” Gasquet reflected.
“But I try my best of course when I’m going on the court to try to win, so we will see what will happen. I just know I try my best to win the match and we will see what will happen. The match is always different. It’s the end, maybe the last match of your career. Hard to say. It’s special, but I’m happy to do this, I’m happy to play here one last time. I’m practically 39 years old.
“I never thought I was going to be playing such a long time. So I’m lucky enough to be able to do it here one last time. I know what that represents, to play in a tournament like this. So I’m going to try to enjoy it from beginning to end and give my all. It’s sport. You never know what’s going to happen. I don’t know if I’m calm, but in any case, I want it, and I’m going to enjoy it.”
Although Gasquet is playing his last tournament, there are people that are playing their first ever Roland Garros.
The 39 year-old has some words of advice to those players who are feeling nervous ahead of their first outing in Paris, “Enjoy yourself as much as possible,” Gasquet advised.
“It’s such a trite thing to say but you’ve got to give your best, you’ve got to interact with the public, you have to feel that the public is behind you, is encouraging you. To be as expansive as possible and to give it all. And you’re lucky, feel how lucky you are just to play in Roland Garros, even if it’s hard to go out on the court the first time.
“It’s going to be a moment that’s going to change the rest of your life, but it’s incredible because you’ll always remember it, the first time you played there.”
Gasquet’s potential farewell match will be against compatriot Terence Atmane but if Gasquet wins then he will have one last big match to savour against world number one Jannik Sinner.
