ROLAND GARROS

May 29, 2025

Richard Gasquet

Press Conference

J. SINNER/R. Gasquet

6-3, 6-0, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Of course, congratulations on such a spectacular career. I'd like to ask a very general question. You have played this game, this sport, for so long. What did you love the most, if you could put into words about going out there and playing and competing?

RICHARD GASQUET: No, just to play tennis. I really love tennis just to play. And even when I was a child, I could play in the club, you know, with my father, with my parents, with friends. I loved it. So of course when you can play in front of a packed house like today, you know, it's amazing.

You know, of course I played all my life with a lot of crowd, and I tried my best to compete, and, you know, it was amazing feeling to face these great players in great arenas, in Roland Garros, US Open, Wimbledon. I was really fortunate and really lucky to just play play tennis on the circuit for a long time.

Of course, I have great memories. I'm retiring now. It's a little bit weird for me. I played all my life. But it's tennis. You have to stop one day.

I'm doing it today. I'm really lucky to do it on a stage like this against the No. 1 in the world, so it's the perfect end for me.

Q. Congratulations on this terrific career. Can you recall and name one or two best matches or, like, best memories here? And also, you said on the court that this is not a farewell, adieu, but this is just au revoir. Just talk what is your plan in the future?

RICHARD GASQUET: No, just one match? It is always difficult to say one match or another one. I played great matches. To do semis in Grand Slam, win in Davis Cup. Of course, I have great memories on the tour. And then, of course, I stop my career today. It's life. Of course it's not normal, tennis professional.

But, you know, I will play for the fun. You know, when I was a child I did it. So now I will do it again just for the love of tennis and just to play tennis, you know, even if it's not professional. There is still a life for me, even if I stopped.

I don't know when or what I will do exactly in the future, but just to play tennis with friends, it's enough. I'm just happy, as I said. I'm very lucky just to be in a good health now, even if I'm stopping and I'm 39 soon. I just like to play tennis. I will do it in the future, for sure.

Q. You finished your career on Chatrier, which must be very satisfying. I was wondering if you can compare playing on Chatrier versus playing on Lenglen as someone who has played a lot here. There is quite an atmosphere out there for the French players. Curious if you have any particular memories playing on Lenglen when the crowd is rowdy.

RICHARD GASQUET: Lenglen, it's amazing. I played many times there. It's amazing to play with the French crowds. They cheered for me a lot there. I remember I played many great matches on this court.

But to finish my career, I couldn't dream more to play on this court, Chatrier, against the No. 1 in the world. It's the perfect end for me. Of course, I would like to win, but it's not easy to win for me now against Sinner. He's No. 1 in the world.

But to finish there, I would sign when I start the tournament to finish on a packed court, on a packed Chatrier with the French crowd. It was full. Yeah, it's perfect for me.

Of course I won the very first match and I could finish my career on the No. 1 in the world there. It was sunny on the court. It was perfect for me to stop my career against Sinner on Chatrier.

Q. Congratulations for your career. You have played now 29 Italian players, so five different generations. Today you played against No. 1 in the world, which we never had. Do you remember the players, in your opinion, Italians who cause you either problems or that you enjoyed more playing against them or that you thought they were incredibly talented, going back to your old matches? Difficult?

RICHARD GASQUET: I play many challengers in Italy. I won in Napoli. I won in Reggio Emilia. So I have great memories playing in Italy, really. There were a lot of fans when I played there. I was very young. I won two times in Napoli. I remember I played many great Italian players: Starace, Volandri, Luzzi. I remember many of them. Galimberti. Many of them.

I played maybe, as you said, 29 players. Of course the best of course is Sinner, Musetti, and Berrettini, I played many, Volandri. It was very nice for me to play in Italy. I had a perfect tournaments there. You have a lot of fans. I will keep great memories playing there, and I will try to come back in the future just to be in the stands to enjoy tennis with Italian fans.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. Your face is astonishingly calm. Are you surprised it's over?

RICHARD GASQUET: It's a little strange that it's over. I wouldn't be able to state the contrary. It is strange to finish here, because I haven't really taken it all in yet. But I'm happy, happy to finish here at practically 39 years old.

I couldn't have dreamt of a better end, because, you know, you never know what could happen on your last tournament. It's not always easy everywhere, every day. So to finish today on Chatrier against the No. 1 in the world, it's a wonderful end for me. So I'm very happy with what I was able to do for this tournament.

It's a little strange, because there is no stress tomorrow. There is no recovery. There is no training. There is no lawn tennis. So this is the most astonishing thing. I've got my mind just telling me that I've got to recover and rest.

But I'm very calm about the decision to stop, and I'm very happy to stop today on this court against the No. 1 in the world, the stadium, the court was full. It was good weather. I'm very happy.

Q. So you've got a career which is going to remain in French tennis history, but also you have marked Olympic history with your medal. What does this mean for you?

RICHARD GASQUET: It was wonderful to win the Olympic medal. It was a fantastic moment, and it will remain a wonderful memory for me with Julien Benneteau and the Olympic Games. This is exceptional. I was happy to have that medal.

Q. Thank you for all those good years. Was it important for you to finish in good health? You know, a lot of players who do a season too many and then their health is damaged. But you're in very good health from what we can see. So you didn't want to overdo it.

RICHARD GASQUET: I'm very happy to finish my career and not to be massacred completely. I've still got a lot of pain. I'm quite fatigued. But I know that I have a good life, I'm going to be able to do other things. I'm not suffering. Some tennis players finish their careers in bad health. I have played for a lot of years, and I'm very happy to be able to have done so, winning some matches and finishing in the second round here.

I'm happy to have not finished on a ridiculous note. You know, Monaco, I won a match. Here I won a match, as well. Things have gone well for me. In any case, I have managed the end of my career really well. I'm happy to have played all these tournaments, and now you've got to know when to stop. This is the right moment. I have gone down the ranking. I have had a lot of injuries this season.

People never know when to stop. It's never easy. But in any case, to stop today on this court, you know, in good weather, it was wonderful.

Q. What are you the proudest of in your career? And secondly, you have talked about the Davis Cup. What place does this play in your mind? Especially the doubles, as well, what memories do you have of all of this?

RICHARD GASQUET: The Davis Cup was wonderful, was fabulous. We were in Roland Garros. We were in Lille where there were 28,000 people.

These were emotional moments which surpass everything that I have known. I have never felt stress like in Lille in 2014 or in 2017. It was much more stress than other tournaments.

What else do I remember? I have been lucky to have been able to play, to have seen the public, to have traveled all over the world, to have played great tennis. I always wanted to do that when I was younger.

So emotionally, I'm stopping today. I have wonderful memories for the rest of my life, and that's the main thing. Of course there are matches that you'd love to play again. Some matches I have lost that I would have liked to have won. But I'm lucky to have had a wonderful career and that I was able to fulfill myself as a tennis player.

Q. You have a lot of experience against No. 1s, but you have played against Sinner on every surface. What do you think of him on clay court?

RICHARD GASQUET: Of course, you know, he's a wonderful player. He's got all his career ahead of him. He's capable of playing and having a wonderful career and winning Grand Slams, but we'll see how it goes.

But what happened, it was unreasonable. When you look over the last 15 years, we'll see what happens. He's a fantastic player. He's very strong. He's got very good technique. So he's going to win a lot of Grand Slams. In any case, that's what I wish for him.

Q. You were saying it's bizarre because I'm not going to have to prepare for lawn tennis or stretch or train. Do you know what you're going to do this evening, tomorrow at the end of Roland Garros? Are you going to enjoy the tournament with another perspective?

RICHARD GASQUET: Well, my trainer is sitting here, so we'll talk about that. But we're going to look at football, first of all. I'm going to be interested in football. You know, I haven't kicked a ball in 10 years because I'm afraid of getting hurt. So this evening I'm happy to be able to tell myself that I'm finally going to be able to play football again and perhaps golf and padel again. And it's good to stop because I have given everything to tennis over the last few years so I didn't get silly injuries.

Now I'm saying to myself that we're going to be... Jo is coming and other friends. We are going to be able to organize other sporting events, and that's great.

Q. It's clear that you're going to stay in the tennis world in the medium turn, but do you need to cut off for a while, maybe take one or two months away from the whole media attention to break it off formally?

RICHARD GASQUET: Yes. I need to do something different. But like I said, I'm very happy to stop, happy with what I have done, happy to wind it all up here.

So, you know, I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss not playing in front of 15,000 people. Of course these are incredible moments. But I'm not sure what I'm going to do in the future. Let's see in the coming months.

But in any case, as for this stopping my career now, I'm happy to turn the page and do something different.

Q. Do you know when you're going to have a racquet in your hand again?

RICHARD GASQUET: Quite quickly.

Q. Small matches?

RICHARD GASQUET: Yes. I enjoy playing. To play just for pleasure, this is why I know I'm going to play, because I enjoy it. I have always enjoyed it.

But to do it without stress, without training, just for the pleasure will be fantastic. I'm going to continue doing that. I enjoy the game. I love playing, and this is something I have always loved.

Q. Someone in Bordeaux really wants to see you play with Primrose at the end of the season. Will we see you with Primrose at the end of the season?

RICHARD GASQUET: No, I won't be playing professionally there again. You've got to leave space for other people. You know, I'm going to be 40 years old soon, so I can have retirement circuit, but on the professional circuit, it's finished.

Q. I'm going to come back to that. A couple of days ago, Rafael Nadal said he hadn't played in eight months. Would this worry you not playing for eight months? And you're talking about tournaments, but you could do the over-35s?

RICHARD GASQUET: Yes, like, I know I could do it. I'm not afraid of it. But to have fun with friends. But because, you know, club life, these are things that I enjoy, and I think that I'm capable of doing it, I think I will do it, but next year.

It will help me, you know, be with friends and everything. There will be no stress, no pressure, and I know that I will be doing it for pleasure in the future.

It won't be so physical. I won't have to prepare. It will be great just to play for pleasure again.