Richard Gasquet: The Retirement of a French Artist

Gasquet was part of a golden generation that brought a surge of fans to tennis. When he reached a career-high ATP ranking of World No. 7 in July 2007, he joined a top 10 roster that included Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and contemporaries like Roddick, Davydenko, Ferrer, and Nalbandian—each a special player in their own right. That summer, Gasquet reached the Wimbledon semifinals, famously defeating Roddick in five sets with a dazzling display of flair and stamina.

Gasquet’s greatest hurdle was beating these elite talents when it mattered most, against the big three, Gasquet compiled a record of 3-49, for a player who won 16 career ATP titles, and won over 600 matches in his career (his first coming at 15), it’s clear that the game’s elite put up a barrier that Gasquet couldn’t get past. One of Gasquet’s three wins came as a 20 year old in Monte Carlo against Federer.

The 20 minute highlight reel the ATP Tour produced of his best career moments, shows what joy and talent he brought to the court and how much he brought to the sport we love.

Gasquet also made headlines off the court, in 2009 at age 22, Gasquet faced a doping ban for a positive drug test, the drug in question? the party drug cocaine. Gasquet was cleared after authorities accepted his claim that it was “just a kiss”at a nightclub that caused him a test positive, in one of the most TMZ style headlines tennis has ever generated.

Gasquet would get his career back on track from that moment, in 2013 he reached the US Open semifinals, in 2015 he returned to the Wimbledon semifinals, and in 2016 he posted his best ever result in Paris, a run to the quarterfinals, a result he never matched in Australia. Gasquet also played in two ATP World Tour Finals and grabbed an Olympic bronze medal for men’s doubles in London, as doubles was a game he excelled at, when he opted to play it.

Gasquet’s longevity, guile, and precision tennis, including a flicking one handed backhand that produced brilliant shots, made his matches very watchable, and he was always a threat if he caught his opponent having a bad day. Given his style of play, his relationships in the sport, and his decades of experience in professional tennis, it’s likely we will see Gasquet working with the French federation to develop the next generation of talent, or joining many of his retired colleagues on the ranks of the coaching circuit, working with current talent on tour to help them maximize their potential and achieve success.

Gasquet may not have been a “world class player” but he created a world class highlight reel of stylish tennis, won his home town tournament of Montpellier three times, was a key player in the Davis Cup for France, and leaves the game with an aura of respect from the tennis fans who watched the trials and tribulations of his career over two decades.