Gasquet on retirement: “It has to happen one day”

The circular nature of tennis was on show at the Rolex Paris Masters on Tuesday. First, Arthur Fils (aged 20) and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (21) won their first matches in the main draw at Bercy, against Marin Cilic and Frances Tiafoe respectively, then Richard Gasquet (38) lost his very last match against Belgian lucky loser Zizou Bergs. Three men and two generations of French tennis, the youngsters on the rise and in their prime, the other nearing the end of his career and increasingly struggling with his physique.

Gasquet, who recently announced his intended retirement at Roland-Garros 2025, was never in a position to fire up the crowd or take a hold of the match. Very quickly, it was evident that he was off the pace, despite some nice shot-making.

“He played well. He was stronger than me. I didn’t deliver, and the surface was fast,” the Frenchman said after the match.

“I didn’t manage to hit wonderful shots, but that’s what tennis is all about.”

He then spoke at the tribute ceremony organised in his honour on the court – “Delivering such a speech at the end, you know, it’s a bit strange!” – and followed that up with a press conference, where he was in turns both amusing and nostalgic.

And he agreed that the time had certainly come for him to turn the page.

“I ended up (ranked) 130 worldwide. That’s why I’m stopping. Otherwise I wouldn’t end my career now.

“I’m lucky to be in good physical shape, to play well, to be able to pretend to expect winning some matches. I try not to be wounded and to enjoy as much as I can. I’ll try to carry on until the French Open.”

He added: “Today it’s quite strange for me to be on the court after Arthur and Giovanni. You can tell, right? I can admit they’re 21; I’m 38. Whew. You know, sometimes I’m losing my groove.

“I was used to having Gilles and Lucas, and with Cedric, as well, for Roland-Garros. So sometimes it’s hard for me to find my landmarks. When you’re in the locker room and you see such young players, well, you know, it’s hard.”

And asked if he would like to play any other tournaments one last time, he replied: “Montpellier, Marseilles, I would like to play last time, because they are dear to my heart. Monaco, as well. I’d like to play quallies in Monaco. A few challengers in France, as well. And Roland-Garros. To try to have a nice season. There are beautiful tournaments to play ahead, so I hope that I can continue until then.

“I was asked if I would stop in Bercy or in Roland-Garros. I think it’s a good choice to stop at Roland-Garros. I wanted to play as many matches as possible, because ending your sports life is not easy.”

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