He will never have won the Grand Slam tournament that all tennis fans promised him when they saw his first shots with the racket. Neither will he have reached world number one nor will he have competed with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. But by announcing, on Thursday, October 10, that he would permanently leave his rackets at Roland-Garros in 2025 (from May 25 to June 8), Richard Gasquet created a stir much stronger than a “simple” formalization of the end of his career. . a former world number 7.
Last snub of fate: after spending years in the shadow of Rafael Nadal, the Biterrois did not even have a monopoly on tributes on Thursday. His Spanish rival also chose October 10 to make it known that he was preparing to say “enough.” There is no doubt that the Mallorcan and his twenty-two Grand Slam trophies will leave a more lasting mark on tennis history than Richard Gasquet and his sixteen titles, all acquired in the ATP 250, the fourth category in the tournament hierarchy.
But the Frenchman was also a separate character in the world of the little yellow ball. Neither particularly tall (1.83m) nor particularly physically impressive, he would have easily gone unnoticed on the street without his exploits on the pitch. Gasquet was above all “Richard”, a name shouted until he lost his voice by his fans, always massively present during his matches. A player coming directly from the Sérignan tennis club (Hérault), with whom everyone could identify.
Richard Gasquet was also a hope. That of finally seeing a Frenchman leave Roland-Garros with the Musketeers Cup under his arm to succeed Yannick Noah, the last French winner in 1983. The fans believed in it early, even too early depending on the interested party. Almost from the famous cover tennis magazine immortalizing him, at the age of 9, when he was already breaking records. “It made me feel uncomfortable. I was quite introverted. So young, it’s not nice at all.”he lamented, in 2019, on the Echange podcast.
A “characteristic” movement
A symbol of precocity in his beginnings, Richard Gasquet ended up leaving his mark for his ability to endure, competing tirelessly in tournaments on the secondary circuit at the age of 38. “I really like tennis”he told the World, in October 2023. Perhaps wanting to prepare his fans – and himself – for the inevitable announcement of his retirement, he had taken it upon himself, two days before, to sign a license with the Bordeaux tennis club, with which he will continue to play tournaments. interclubs. .
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