Tennis star Richard Gasquet is set to retire from the sport following next year’s French Open, just days before he turns 39. The former world No. 7, who featured in his first Grand Slam at the 2002 French Open, reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2007 and 2015 but has never managed to get his hands on a Major trophy.
Gasquet has been a crowd favourite at the All England Club over the years and has drawn admirers with his sumptuous one-handed backhand.
He has won 16 ATP 250 events throughout his career and can also boast an appearance in the 2013 US Open semi-finals.
Gasquet addressed his retirement at next year’s Roland Garros during an interview with L’Equipe as he told the publication: “I think it’s the best time for me to do it. It’s the best tournament to do that.
“It’s beautiful – we’re lucky being French to be able to stop in this kind of incredible places. An end is always complicated – all the former great players have often told me it’s not easy to announce it. You never know when, how, where. Here, in any case, it goes without saying.”
Gasquet produced an inspired run of form at the 2007 edition of Wimbledon and set up a last-four showdown with Roger Federer after overcoming a two-set deficit to topple Andy Roddick in the quarters. But the Frenchman was dispatched by Federer in straight sets, with the Swiss ace going on to defeat Rafael Nadal in the final.
Gasquet reached the same stage at SW19 eight years later following another five-set quarter-final thriller, this time against Stan Wawrinka.
He couldn’t win a single set in the last-four, however, as he was seen off by Novak Djokovic, who overcame Federer in the showpiece match two days later.
Gasquet has failed to go beyond the third round of a Grand Slam since reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2016 and has fallen to No. 133 in the rankings. He featured at the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year and has continued to ply his trade at the smaller Challenger events.
The veteran clinched the Cassis Open Provence title at the start of September after getting the better of Austrian player Jurij Rodionov in the final.
And he added: “Tennis is not just about the big matches, it’s visceral.
“When I won the Cassis Challenger, I became one among the three youngest and the three oldest to have won in a Challenger. That sums me up well.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk