Richard Gasquet's last stand: The French prodigy who fought through tennis's golden age

Hindustan Times

6 days ago

The unrelenting domination of the Big Four (Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray) in men's tennis over the last two decades, changed the script for many emerging talents to mere could-haves. Juan Martin Del Potro, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic did manage to sneak a Grand Slam win each during their "brutal" reign. But there was one other, that failed to make the summit. He was the only other player in history, barring Murray, Djokovic and Nadal, to have 600-plus wins on the ATP tour, but paid the price of belonging to the 'golden age of tennis.'
In July 1995, Corinne Dubreuil, then a photographer for France's Tennis Magazine, was covering a junior tournament in Blois when she was urged to visit one of the side courts. There, a flamboyant nine-year-old with a stunning one-handed backhand turned heads — it was Richard Gasquet. Months later, Dubreuil featured him on the cover of the February 1996 issue of Tennis Magazine, showcasing that elegant one-hander. The headline read: 'Le champion que la France attend?' (The champion France is waiting for?)
Gasquet's breakthrough came in 2005. Riding a 10-match winning streak, he stormed into his first Masters semifinal in Monte Carlo, where he stunned world No. 1 Roger Federer with a blazing down-the-line backhand winner to seal the win — a shot still replayed in tennis highlight reels. But that dream run ended at the hands of another prodigy having his own breakthrough season: Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard beat Gasquet in the semis, then again a month later in the French Open third round en route to his first Slam title.
Nadal would go on to win 13 more Roland Garros crowns, taking his Slam tally to 22 and collecting 36 Masters titles. He also won all of his remaining 16 matches against Gasquet. The Frenchman, meanwhile, would win 16 career ATP titles — none above the 250 level. It was never a question of talent or effort; as Gasquet once put it, it was simply bad luck.
He did reach a career-high ranking of No. 7 and made three Slam semifinals — Wimbledon (2007, 2015) and the US Open (2013) — along with three Masters 1000 finals. But each time he made a deep run, a member of the Big Four stood in his way. Federer beat him at Wimbledon in 2007 and in two Masters finals. Djokovic ousted him at Wimbledon in 2015 and in another Toronto final. Nadal overpowered him in straight sets at the 2013 US Open.
"I think there was perhaps a chance to do something amazing before this era, between 1998 and 2005 — the bar wasn't so high back then," Gasquet reflected recently in an interview with Roland Garros. "Juan Martin Del Potro, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic managed to win a Grand Slam since the rise of the Big Four, but it was tough to make your mark. It was brutal. But it has been an incredible era — the golden age of tennis. There were the Big Four, and four top players from France — Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Gaël Monfils, and myself. I think the public enjoyed that."
Despite falling short of tennis' biggest prizes, Gasquet's résumé is impressive. He has 610 ATP match wins to his name. One of his proudest moments came in the 2017 Davis Cup, when he teamed up with Pierre-Hugues Herbert to deliver a crucial doubles victory, helping France beat Belgium 2-1.
It has been an emotional start to the 2025 French Open. On opening day, Court Philippe Chatrier was brought to tears as organisers staged a one-hour farewell ceremony for Rafael Nadal. A day later, Caroline Garcia bid farewell to professional tennis after a tearful first-round exit.
But while emotions ran high, fans kept theirs in check for one more goodbye — Gasquet's. The 37-year-old announced last month that Roland Garros would mark his final appearance as a professional player. And on Tuesday, he ensured the farewell would have to wait, defeating compatriot Terence Atmane in four sets.
Next, Gasquet faces world No. 1 and reigning Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner in the second round — a final challenge worthy of his enduring legacy.