Richard Gasquet: “For me, carelessness was impossible”

Richard, is it positive to say that it is you who will choose the time and moment of your retirement? Let it not be your body that decides…

Richard Gasquet: Yes, it's clear that it's very important, we know that the end is difficult. Otherwise, we wouldn't stop. Already, obviously, we feel less good at stopping… Andy Murray, it wasn't easy at Wimbledon, Rafa, it's clear that it certainly wasn't his greatest match… But we rarely decide to stop it. You never know what's going to happen, it's still a competition, there's an opponent facing you, so it's always complicated.

Is it important for you to make people understand that as long as you experience pleasure, as long as the body is still taking the shock, that there is no reason to stop?

RG: Everyone is free to do what they want. No one should speak for Rafael Nadal or anyone, I don't think anyone can give him advice. If he wants to play, he continues. He chose his stop, it's a bit the same for all the players, everyone does what they want and in any case, there is no limit. The real question is: 'How do you feel? Do you feel capable of winning matches?'. There, I feel a little less capable of getting back into the rankings. And to play huge matches to make this comeback. So I simply decide to stop, which is natural for me.

Once Roland-Garros 2025 has passed, how do you envisage the future?

RG: We’ll see what happens next… Obviously, it will be in Tennis. After where, how, when, we'll see but what fascinates me is the court, it's tennis, it's the players, it's that vibration that I have within me. I'm already going to try to finish these six months well, take a few months and then we'll see where it takes me.

Is there an activity where you can imagine yourself?

RG: Young players. Those who arrive on the circuit in turn, support them to be strong. More like French players in the idea. That they progress, that everyone goes high in the rankings… These are the kinds of things that could interest me one day. Coach? I honestly don't know exactly.

Is there an activity, however, that you absolutely do not want to do?

RG: No, I don't have any reservations about anything, frankly. I remain open. But what I know is that it will be on the court side, that's what I like more than anything else in the world of tennis, that's clear.

The terrain, precisely. Is it still a pleasure for you, training, hitting the ball?

RG: It's mainly the game. Not training or a match, not just hitting the ball but making beautiful shots, winning shots, feeling that the ball is going… There are days, that's the magic tennis, some days it goes away, there are others, it's more difficult. What makes one day it goes away, the other a little less, that's always hard to explain. But when you come across a good day, tennis is a wonderful sport.

In all that you have been able to accomplish in your career, what makes you most proud?

RG: To have been able to have a career, quite simply. Me, I was young, I was in the south, I was with my parents, with my friends, if I had known… I would have signed with both hands to have a career like I did, of course. to have been able to experience these moments, to have been able to be on center courts, to have been able to play incredible matches, to have simply vibrated. And above all to have experienced enormous emotions. It's all thanks to tennis.

When did you feel the strongest in your career?

RG: When you reach the Grand Slam semi-final. This is where you feel the strongest because these are still the most important tournaments. The others behind are important tournaments, of course, but that has nothing to do with it. The 'real' tennis is in these tournaments. There was the Davis Cup too. These are moments above the others. So, yes, semi-finals, somewhat historic matches where you feel the weight of tennis, that's when you feel the strongest. Because it's something else.

Is there a goal you set for yourself that you really believed in but that never happened?

RG: Winning a Grand Slam, obviously. But I quickly realized that it was going to be difficult. I saw that it was complicated, the generation was very strong. I reached the semi-finals three times, I believed in it. I believed in it but each time, it didn't happen. Also being seventh, I wanted to be Top 5. But that goes with it: I wanted to beat these players but it didn't always happen.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gaël Monfils talked about the Grand Slams on YouTube recently. They wonder what they missed to win these tournaments. What do you think was missing? For you but also for this generation of very good French players?

RG: Basically, tennis is easy. It's not complicated, what you have to do is be the best. What did he miss? Certainly things. Then, what exactly? It can take a long time to explain. I think I had a hard time dealing with things, there was a lot of pressure on my shoulders. From time to time I lost a little time because it was hard to carry. Afterwards, what did he miss when we were older? Certainly tennis shots, a little more physicality from time to time, better recovery in certain matches, better service for me. Lots of things in the end.

Is it that simple?

RG: The good thing about tennis is that there are no draws. There is a ranking at the end of the year. It is a sport which is extremely fair and there is no cheating. You either win or you lose. You don't lie in tennis. There is number 1, number 2, 3, 4, 5th in the world. So there's no need to lie to yourself. There are some who were simply better. Afterwards, we had very good careers. We weren't that far either. But by not being far away, you are not there yet.

Do you believe in chance, in luck which could, perhaps, have given you a helping hand?

RG: I believe in the luck of being in one generation or another. I think you can have generations that are stronger than others. There, all the same, this generation against which I played, against which we played, it was still monstrous. There were still four players who were extraordinary, almost the best players in history, especially the first three. Behind, there were players who were very, very strong. Honestly, when I arrived at the circuit, it was less strong. In 2004, I saw the finals. Between 2000 and 2005, I tell myself that it's not the same tennis all the same. It might be hard to say, but that's what I believe. This does not mean that I would have won a Grand Slam in another era. But what I know is that the generation I played in is the strongest in the history of tennis. It was beautiful, but still bad luck.

You are often described as humble, thoughtful, logical, tactical, with a real knowledge of the game, your opponents, the world around you. Do you think that with a form of carelessness, almost unconsciousness, that would have allowed you to overcome milestones, to break a glass ceiling or…

RG: (He cuts) Yes, but I couldn't be careless about it, it's impossible. With the history I've had, with everything I've had on my shoulders, my precociousness, that kind of thing, carelessness cannot exist. I think I was the most followed guy in history between 10 and 20 years. So you can't be careless, it's not possible. I had a bit of it when I was young, obviously, I played very well, everything was going well. But I still had to struggle with it. When you are young, when you are a teenager… Maybe it's specific to France but Roland-Garros, the media… So I couldn't live with carelessness. If there was one guy who really couldn't, it's me. And I actually find that I didn't do too badly in relation to that. Afterwards, humility, yes, I think I could have had a little more, perhaps, a certain form of natural confidence, a little American-style. It sure would have helped me…

Couldn't this carelessness return later? When you face Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic again, find a form of carefreeness to convince yourself that 'yes, today, I can beat them'?

RG: But we tried. I lost some time, but I eventually made up for it. I was still seventh in the world, I played in the Grand Slam semi-finals. But, afterwards, I was less strong. You shouldn't look for mental stuff either. That’s quite French. Honestly, it wasn't a mental problem when we lost. It’s because they played better than us. In terms of intensity, on a physical level, they were enormous. They were stronger. So, as I said, you have to be quite Cartesian in tennis anyway and not always look for noon to 2 p.m.

So, what if it's not mental?

RG: When we lost, it was because they were playing better tennis. And we could also progress on that side. On the technical side of things, I think there are things to look at. Tennis is played a lot there too. It's not just the mind. That's always the easy answer to give. It's very supportive, but we must never forget the technique as well. I think it's still the most important.

Is this idea of ​​“weak mentality” impossible when you are top 10 in the world?

RG: Yes, it’s impossible. Afterwards, it's people's lack of knowledge about tennis. It's easy, the parallel is easy right away, but that's not where it happens. I’ll say it again: we could have progressed more tennis-wise. Me, my serve, other French players also had their weaknesses. And when you saw the best… Well, Djokovic, I don't see any weakness. Nadal, I don't see any either. Federer, let's not talk about it. Sometimes you have to be a little more Cartesian and know tennis a little better.