Tennis star thwarted by Djokovic and Federer confirms plan to retire at French Open | Tennis | Sport

Tennis star Richard Gasquet will retire after next year’s French Open, just days before he turns 39. The former world number 7, who competed in his first Grand Slam at the 2002 French Open, reached the Wimbledon semi-finals. in 2007 and 2015, but has never managed to win a Major trophy.

Gasquet has been a crowd favorite at the All England Club over the years, attracting admirers with his sumptuous one-handed backhand.

He has won 16 ATP 250 events throughout his career and also boasts an appearance in the semi-finals of the US Open in 2013.

Gasquet addressed his retirement at Roland Garros next year during an interview with L’Equipe, telling the publication: “I think this is the best time for me to do it. It’s the best tournament to do that.

“It’s beautiful. We are lucky to be French and to be able to stop at incredible places like this. An ending is always complicated. All the former big players have told me many times that it is not easy to announce it. You never know when, how, where. At least here it is self-evident.”

Gasquet produced inspired form at the 2007 edition of Wimbledon, setting up a last four showdown with Roger Federer after overcoming a two-set deficit to topple Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals. But the Frenchman was dismissed by Federer in straight sets, with the Swiss ace beating Rafael Nadal in the final.

Gasquet reached the same stage eight years later at SW19 after another five-set quarter-final thriller, this time against Stan Wawrinka.

However, he could not win a single set in the last four as he was dismissed by Novak Djokovic, who defeated Federer in the showpiece event two days later.

Gasquet has failed to progress beyond the third round of a Grand Slam since reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2016, falling 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 took the Cassis Open Provence title in early September after beating Austrian player Jurij Rodionov in the final.

And he added: “Tennis is not just about the big matches, it is intuitive.

“When I won the Cassis Challenger, I became one of the three youngest and three oldest to have won in a Challenger. That sums it up well for me.”