Mahut announces he will retire this year
Nicolas Mahut announced on Tuesday he is set to retire this year, with his final tournament yet to be decided upon
Nicolas Mahut at the ATP Montpellier Open in 2022
Image Credit: JB Autissier / Panoramic
Nicolas Mahut has announced that he will retire later this year, with the Frenchman’s final tournament yet to be decided.
“I made the decision to stop my career, to see when the Rolex Paris Masters or the US Open,” he said on Eurosport yesterday.
“It’s a bit of a long process because I was injured, and the injury kept me off the field longer than I thought. After a while, the decision is quite easy to make and even if it won’t surprise anyone, for me, it’s important to announce it to be able to prepare for my last Roland-Garros and my last tournaments.”
Away from the courts since Wimbledon last year due to a herniated disc, the Frenchman took the opportunity to announce his return to doubles competition alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, with whom he will play the Bordeaux Challenger and then Roland-Garros, subject to invitations that are likely to be extended.
“Then I would like to play the Grand Slams, Wimbledon or the US Open, but I don’t know with whom yet,” he added. “If my body allows me if I’m invited, I’d like to be able to finish in Paris. But that’s the ideal program. We’ll see how my body reacts to the competition.”
Four singles titles and a record for eternity
At 43 years old, Mahut has won all four Grand Slam titles (including two Roland-Garros in 2018 and 2021), two ATP Finals (2019, 2021), seven Masters 1,000 and reached the world No 1 in 2016.
An excellent doubles career, however, should not overshadow an impressive singles career. Especially on grass, the most natural surface for Mahut, who has won four ATP titles on these courts (‘s’Hertogenbosch three times and Newport’), as well as notable successes over Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.
But history will instead remember his improbable and probably eternal record jointly held with John Isner at Wimbledon in 2010. A match won by the American 70-68 in the fifth set after 11 hours and 5 minutes of effective play, and over a period of three days including interruptions. It was largely due to this match that led to tennis adopting a tiebreak in the fifth set.
History will also remember that of a passionate and invested player, who could have never stopped much earlier.
“I thought this day (of retiring) would never come because I love it so much. There was only one injury to push me There is only one injury at 43 years old, it takes time and energy to get back in shape. And today, I have a little less.”
