In his shadow, until the end: within a few hours on Thursday, Richard Gasquet saw the announcement of his sporting retirement swallowed up by that of Rafael Nadal, who, by imitating him, made their careers even more inseparable, although devoid of rivalry and poles apart in terms of results.
Born 15 days apart, there is no doubt that during their two decades competing on the courts, Gasquet would have liked to be the « nemesis » of Nadal.
This was not the case, since he conceded 18 defeats in as many professional matches. Most often very dryly, like the last one, in the 3rd round of the US Open (6-0, 6-1, 7-5), 18 years after the first, a little tighter (6-4 , 3-6, 6-2) on the clay of Estoril (8th) in 2004.
We have to rewind a little more, to see that the Biterrois has managed – once – to get the better of the Majorcan. It was in Tarbes, during the Petits As Tournament, and the two pre-teens were 12 years old.
“It was probably the most special confrontation”remembered Nadal before meeting Gasquet in the 3rd round of Roland-Garros in 2021. “Because it was the first time, and Gasquet was incredible. I was already standing out at that age in Spain, but I hadn’t played much outside. Even though I lost, I remember it with great affection. »
This duel ultimately did not herald any rivalry between the two players, as the Spaniard was superior to the French when they had to cross their rackets.
There was, in 2005, their semi-final clinched in Monte-Carlo 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-3 for Nadal, but a few weeks later, Gasquet, swept away in the 3rd round of Roland-Garros, had understood to what extent his opponent would become the ogre of ocher.
“At least I was compared to him”
Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet at the end of their match in the 3rd round of the US Open, September 3, 2022 in New York / JAMIE SQUIRE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/Archives
“I saw that he was no longer the same player as in Monaco. Coming out of the match, I told my father that he was going to win a lot of Grand Slams behind, I was expecting maybe not ten (Roland-Garros), but five or six”he told AFP in 2018, without yet knowing that the Spaniard would win a total of 14!
“We played a lot of matches against each other, we arrived on the circuit almost at the same time, and we are still here. We both had a tough time with injuries. But in the end, we enjoy doing what we do, playing tennis, so much that we continue as long as we can. I’m happy with that”welcomed Nadal again in 2021, a few hours from inflicting on his old traveling companion a third setback (6-0, 7-5, 6-2) in a row on Parisian clay.
In 22 years of career, the figures summarizing the career of « Rafa » are dizzying: 92 titles won on the ATP circuit including 22 Grand Slams, 209 weeks occupying the world throne…
Gasquet’s CV, which peaked in 7th place, is much less impressive, although filled with 16 tournaments won, the last in Auckland in January 2023. A track record that he can always try to embellish, between now and his farewells at Roland-Garros in 2025, where Nadal would probably have wanted to do his own, if his body had allowed him to do so.
“When we were young, we were compared a lot of times. And at 18, we stopped a bit. The more the years have passed, the less the comparison has existed”still traced Gasquet in 2018. “At least I will have been compared to him. I will have this left. There aren’t that many! ».
