Interview with Richard Gasquet: “I could have done better, but it’s a great career, a long career”
As he prepares to retire after well over two decades on decades on Tour, the 38-year-old Frenchman says he is most proud of his longevity
Richard Gasquet at the Rolex Paris Masters in 2024 – © Federico Pestellini / Bestimage / PsnewZ
More than a few tears will be shed at this year’s Roland-Garros as some of the favourite players of the past years call it a day.
Rafael Nadal will capture most of the headlines when he returns to the scene of his 14 French Open titles for a special celebration on Sunday but the last appearance of Richard Gasquet in Paris will surely be right up there too.
Having made his debut at Roland-Garros way back in 2002, this year’s event will be Gasquet’s last of any kind, an end to an outstanding career that has seen him be ranked as high as No 7, win 16 titles and more than 600 matches, and help France to win the Davis Cup in 2017.
If he never quite achieved as much as his talent at a young age suggested – he reached just three Grand Slam semi-finals – his one-handed backhand, one of the most iconic shots in tennis, should have its own place in the history books.
As he contemplated his impending retirement, Gasquet sat down for a chat a few weeks ago in Monte-Carlo and for all the talk of what might have been after his stunning emergence onto the Tour in 2002 and then his win over Roger Federer in Monte-Carlo in 2005, when he was still only 18, Gasquet will end his career happy with his achievements, especially his longevity.
“I am most proud that I was able to just play tennis,” Gasquet said. “I came here when I was 13, 14, years old, and I just turned up to watch tennis, to watch (Gustavo) Kuerten (a three-time French Open winner), and these kind of guys, so it’s the fact that I could have a long career. I could play on these great Centre Courts all around the world. That’s the thing I’m the most proud of, that I could do a professional career.
“And I could feel the love of the game, the passion, to travel, to play everywhere, in Wimbledon, US Open, a great life I had on the Tour.”
Gasquet flattered to deceive in Grand Slams, reaching the semi-finals twice at Wimbledon (2007, 2015) and once at the US Open (2013), he ran into one of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal each time.
I am just happy with the way I could play on the Tour
“Of course, you want to be better,” he said. “I was No 7 in the world, could be better. I just try my best. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you do bad things, sometimes you do great things. But after all, you know, I am just happy with the way I could play on the Tour.
“It is a long career. I started early, 2002 here, now it’s 2025 so, yeah, it’s a great career. I’m really happy with with everything I did. Of course, sometimes you would want to do better things, better results, but (when you look at it all), I tried my best.”
Gasquet : “Everyone seems to come back to tennis”
Gasquet will play another Frenchman, Terence Altmane, in the first round in a match that will surely be played on his beloved Court Suzanne-Lenglen, the scene for many of his battles at Roland-Garros down the years.
A second-round match with world No 1 Jannik Sinner would be a spectacular way to go but Gasquet, who turns 39 in June, has been battling a calf injury in the past few weeks, so his fitness over five sets is unknown.
What is also unknown is what Gasquet will do next. Maybe he will try to teach others the secrets of his brilliant backhand; maybe he will do some commentary. He is not sure either, but thinks he will stay around the sport.
Exactly where and when when it’s tough to say but everybody, at one point, is coming back to tennis,” he said. “I don’t know how, it’s tough to say now, one day. I just want to finish well and then to enjoy and see what will happen in the future.”
