Gasquet: "It is a pleasure to feel that I am still a tennis player"

Fernando Murciego | 26 May 2025 | 21.48

Richard Gasquet delays his retirement in Paris. Source: Getty.

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This Monday, May 26th will be remembered as the day when Richard Gasquet could have ended his career as a professional tennis player. However, that wasn't the case, as the 38-year-old Frenchman found a way to overcome the first hurdle in the Roland Garros draw to gift himself a final? joy in his extensive career. And I say final because it's more than likely that his next opponent will be Jannik Sinner, although this wouldn't be bad news for the Frenchman either. That's how happy he was in the press conference after defeating Atmane, satisfied with his performance and celebrating that this journey is not over yet.

Victory against Atmane

“When you play against a fellow Frenchman here, it's always unique, the crowd also acts strangely, plus it's the first time this type of match has been played. Surely, it wasn't easy for him either; he had a physical slump in the second set, and then the situation extended into the third, but I'm glad I could keep going and feel that I'm not lost yet. I've shown that I still have guts. I suffered the most in the second set; he was better then, but in the third, I managed to pressure him again. It was hard to think it could be my last match; it's very peculiar, but I managed to win, and that's very gratifying.”

The stadium wasn't full

“The conditions were tricky, it was cold, at least I was cold on the court. Like I said before, when you play against another Frenchman, it's never easy; besides, the match was very irregular. For me, it's a good thing; it allowed me to get back into the fight, although my friends and family were there braving the cold. The presidential stands were full, so I'll hold onto that; I could see some of my colleagues there, and that made me happy.”

Sinner in the second round?

“I'll always prefer facing another Frenchman, I can't say more. It's important to me that the French win, but well, if I can play against the world No. 1 this Thursday, that would also be fabulous. It would be a wonderful draw for me. So far, I've managed to win this match, so I could end up facing him. Considering it's the end of my career, that it could be my last match, I couldn't dream of anything better than facing the world No. 1. It'll be a pleasure to compete on Philippe Chatrier or anywhere else, although it won't be the easiest match.”

Continuing to be a tennis player

“I've come from a period where I tore my calf twice, so it hasn't been an easy month. Honestly, I didn't even know if I could play here, although it didn't hurt today. Obviously, when you stop playing for a month, you know it won't be easy to play well from the first match. Plus, with the cold, but I did it; it's a pleasure to feel that I'm still a tennis player. Tomorrow morning, I'll still be a tennis player, something I could have lost today. I feel relieved to go to bed tonight knowing I'll be back on the court; it's a very gratifying feeling.”

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Gasquet: “Es un placer sentir que sigo siendo tenista”