38 and still running? French tennis star, Richard Gasquet was once known as the ‘Little Mozart of French tennis.’ He won several titles in his career but could never get past the SF at any Grand Slam tournament. In short, his journey has been full of ups and downs! Gasquet has already announced that he’d bring an end to his incredible journey in the racquet sport after the 2025 French Open. However, recently we saw him getting a bit emotional in his final press conference from Paris Masters following his first-round loss to Belgium’s Zizou Bergs . What did he say in the press conference?

Even at this age, Richard Gasquet has plenty of fuel left in the tank! Following in the footsteps of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon, Gasquet is the third member of a gifted generation of French players. The list also includes the likes of Gael Monfils who has now entered into his 20th year as a pro tennis player! For them to play against 18-19 years old players can be a little “weird”. Richard Gasquet has been part of a generation that’s known for their longevity in tennis.

However, with players like Dominic Thiem highlighting that tennis will break players sooner, It might be so that Gasquet is part of the last generation playing until 40! What does the Frenchman have to say about this? “Well, you know, I couldn’t say. I guess, yeah, I think — well, there was Connors as well before, but there were not that many players who were 35 who could play so long. Rafa, who won at 36. Novak, Federer. It’s unfathomable. Sometimes when we analyze all this, well, you know, they play fast. So to have a long career, well, you know, tennis is very physical. So we will see until when they can hold their own.“

The former world number 7, further highlighted the emergence of Arthur Fils and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard by saying, “There was a generation with Gael, as well, and they played for quite some time. Today it’s quite strange for me to be on the court after Arthur and Giovanni. You can tell, right? I can admit they’re 21; I’m 38. Whew. You know, sometimes I’m losing my groove. I was used to having Gilles and Lucas, and with Cedric, as well, for Roland Garros. So sometimes it’s hard for me to find my landmarks. When you’re in the locker room and you see such young players, well, you know, it’s hard.”

There was a time when Richard Gasquet was compared to Rafael Nadal. However, his Spanish rival went on to establish himself as one of the GOATs in the racquet sport, but Gasquet could never live up to the enormous expectations that were pinned on him in the initial years of his career. He has played against Nadal 18 times in his career, and guess what? Richard Gasquet has lost all of those matches. His long-time friend and rival has already announced that he’ll be retiring in less than a month’s time in Malaga.

Gasquet will hang up his racquet a few months later! Now it’ll be interesting to see if he can add a few more titles under his belt before playing his final match at the 2025 French Open. What are Richard Gasquet’s goals for 2025 and how did he look at being compared with one of the finest that the game has ever produced?

“It’s wonderful” – Richard Gasquet’s reaction to being compared with Rafael Nadal during his early days

With time, these two men have become friends and they share a very special bond on and off the court. Speaking about him being compared with Rafa, Richard Gasquet wrote, “It’s wonderful to have been compared, for a little while, to Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest sportsmen in history. Deep down, I take it as a huge compliment. But how much it hurt me!” in his memoirs.

During a recent interview with CLAY, Gasquet revealed that playing against Nadal was always a “big tennis challenge“. Be it mentally or physically, he admitted Nadal used to test him in every aspect of his game. Now, what goals does the Frenchman have for the next season? Well, Richard Gasquet is currently ranked 133 in the world, but that’s not where he wants to be on his last day as a professional tennis player!

“I still have a passion for this sport. I am fortunate to be in good physical shape, not to suffer injuries, and to be able to win some matches still. If I had a better ranking, I wouldn’t think about quitting, but being 130th in the world is not what I want. In any case, I’m going to try to reach Roland Garros 2025. I will play in Montpellier, Marseille, Monte Carlo, and some Challengers in France,” said the Frenchman in an interview recently. Will he achieve his missions for the 2025 season? Time will tell! What are your thoughts on Richard Gasquet’s incredible career? Let us know in the comments below: