Gilles Simon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gilles Simon

Simon at the 2022 Wimbledon qualifying
Country (sports)	France
Residence	Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Born	(1984-12-27) 27 December 1984 (age 40) Nice, France
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Turned pro	2002
Retired	2022
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Étienne Laforgue
Prize money	US$ 16,045,734  46th all-time leader in earnings
Singles
Career record	504–394 (56.12%) (56.1%)
Career titles	14
Highest ranking	No. 6 (5 January 2009)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	QF (2009)
French Open	4R (2011, 2013, 2015)
Wimbledon	QF (2015)
US Open	4R (2011, 2014)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (2008)
Olympic Games	3R (2008, 2012, 2016)
Doubles
Career record	42–148 (22.11%) (22.1%)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 117 (28 January 2008)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2008)
French Open	2R (2005)
Wimbledon	1R (2006, 2007)
US Open	3R (2007)
Mixed doubles
Career record	2–4 (33.33%)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French Open	2R (2008)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (2017)
Hopman Cup	RR (2009)

Gilles Simon, born on December 27, 1984, is a French former tennis player. He became a professional player in 2002. Simon won fourteen singles titles on the ATP Tour. His highest singles ranking was No. 6 in the world, which he reached on January 5, 2009. He retired from professional tennis in 2022.

About Gilles Simon

Gilles Simon was born in Nice, France. He grew up in Fontenay-sous-Bois, a town near Paris. His family and friends often called him "Gilou." His mother worked as a doctor, and his father worked for an insurance company. Gilles also has a brother.

Simon started playing tennis when he was six years old. His parents supported his passion for the sport. When he was younger, he was shorter than most kids his age. This was because of a growth delay that ran in his family. He looked up to tennis player Michael Chang, who showed that you don't have to be tall to be a great tennis player.

Gilles Simon is married and has two sons. They were born in 2010 and 2013.

Simon's Tennis Journey

Starting Professional Tennis (2002–2005)

Gilles Simon began his professional tennis career in the summer of 2002. He played in many smaller tournaments in France and other countries. His first win in a Futures tournament was in Lisbon, Portugal, in June 2003. He won another title in Jamaica in September of the same year. In 2004, he won three more tournaments in France and one in Algeria.

Simon played his first major ATP Tour match in Metz, France, in October 2004. He was 19 years old at the time. In January 2005, he won his first ATP Challenger tournament in Nouméa, New Caledonia. He won this tournament again the next year. Simon played in his first Grand Slam tournament at the 2005 French Open. He was ranked No. 113 in the world but lost in the first round.

Breaking into the Top 50 (2006)

Gilles Simon at the 2006 Australian Open

In 2006, Simon played at the Australian Open. He beat strong players like Nicolás Massú and Tomáš Berdych. He then lost in the third round to Thomas Johansson. After this tournament, Simon entered the top 100 players for the first time, reaching No. 89.

He reached his first ATP Tour final in Valencia, Spain. He beat Andreas Seppi and Fernando Verdasco but lost to Nicolás Almagro. Simon also made it to the semifinals in Casablanca. By the end of 2006, he was ranked 45th in the world.

Winning First ATP Titles (2007)

Simon won his first ATP title at the Open 13 tournament in Marseille, France, in early 2007. On his way to the final, he defeated players like Lleyton Hewitt and Robin Söderling. In the final match, Simon beat Marcus Baghdatis.

Later that year, in September, he won his second career title at the Romania Open in Bucharest. He won against Victor Hănescu in the final. Simon entered the top 30 players for the first time on November 5. He finished 2007 ranked No. 29 in the world.

Reaching the Top 10 (2008)

In 2008, Simon continued to play well. He reached the quarterfinals in Marseille, where he beat world No. 3, Novak Djokovic. The next week, he made it to the semifinals in Rotterdam.

In May, he won the Casablanca tournament, even though he had to play in the qualifying rounds. He defeated Julien Benneteau in the final. After playing at Wimbledon, Simon traveled to the United States. He won the Indianapolis Tennis Championships and reached a new career high ranking of No. 25.

Gilles Simon at the 2008 US Open

The next week, at the Canada Masters in Toronto, he had a big win against world No. 1, Roger Federer. He then lost in the semifinals. This helped him enter the top 15 players. Simon played in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing for France. He reached the third round in singles before losing.

At the US Open, Simon was the 16th seed. He lost in the third round in a long, five-set match. On September 14, Simon won his third title of the year at the Romanian Open. He beat Carlos Moyá in the final.

Simon then played in the 2008 Madrid Masters. He defeated world No. 1, Rafael Nadal, in a tough three-set match in the semifinals. He lost the final to Andy Murray. This tournament helped Simon reach a career-high ranking of world No. 10. By the end of 2008, France had four players in the top 20, which was a first since 1973. These players were called the "néo-Mousquetaires" (new Musketeers).

In November, Simon qualified for the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai. This tournament is usually for the top eight players. He beat defending champion Roger Federer in his first match. Simon reached the semifinals, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. After this, he reached world No. 7.

Australian Open Quarterfinal (2009)

Gilles Simon during the 2009 French Open

Simon started 2009 with a new career-high ranking of world No. 6. He played at the Hopman Cup with his teammate Alizé Cornet.

At the 2009 Australian Open, Simon was the sixth seed. He reached the quarterfinals before losing to world No. 1, Rafael Nadal. He also played in the Davis Cup for France.

Simon reached the fourth round of the Miami Open before losing. He then played at the Estoril Open. At Roland Garros, he reached the third round but injured his right knee during the match. This injury became a long-term problem. At Wimbledon, Simon reached the fourth round.

During the summer, he played in the Rogers Cup and the Cincinnati Open. At the Cincinnati Open, he reached the quarterfinals. At the 2009 US Open, Simon had to stop his third-round match because of his knee injury.

Simon then won his first title of 2009 at the Thailand Open. He defeated Viktor Troicki in the final. He later played in Lyon and Valencia. At the Paris Masters, he hurt his knee again. Doctors told him he needed at least two months to recover.

Seventh Career Title (2010)

Simon's 2010 season started with injuries. He had to miss the Australian Open because of his knee. He did not play again until mid-February. The injury also caused him to miss the entire clay-court season, including the French Open.

He returned to the tour in June and reached the quarterfinals in Eastbourne. At Wimbledon, Simon reached the third round. He then played in Washington, D.C., reaching the quarterfinals. He lost in the first round of his next two big tournaments. At the US Open, he reached the third round, where he lost to Rafael Nadal, who went on to win the tournament.

Simon then played in the 2010 Open de Moselle as a wildcard. He won the tournament by beating Mischa Zverev in the final. This was his seventh career title, and it came just weeks after his first son was born. He thanked his girlfriend and called it a "family effort."

He played in two tournaments in Asia, reaching the quarterfinals of the China Open. He also reached the semifinals of the Valencia Open 500. In December 2010, Simon was chosen to play in the Davis Cup final for France against Serbia. France lost the final, and Serbia won the Davis Cup for the first time.

Eighth and Ninth ATP Titles (2011)

Gilles Simon playing in 2011

Simon started 2011 by playing in three tournaments in Australia. He won his eighth title by defeating Viktor Troicki in the final of the Sydney International. At the 2011 Australian Open, he lost to Roger Federer in a five-set match. Simon then defeated Nicolás Almagro in Hamburg, winning an important title.

He reached the fourth round of Roland Garros but lost. At Wimbledon, he lost in the third round. At the US Open, he reached the fourth round before losing to John Isner.

Tenth ATP Title (2012)

Simon started 2012 by reaching the semifinals of the Brisbane International. At the Australian Open, he lost in the second round.

He reached the semifinals in Monte-Carlo, beating Janko Tipsarević and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He lost in the semifinals to Rafael Nadal. After that, he won the tournament in Bucharest, Romania, defeating Fabio Fognini in the final. This was his tenth ATP title.

Simon lost in the third round at the Madrid Masters and the Rome Masters. At the French Open, he lost in the third round in a five-set match. He also lost early at Wimbledon and the US Open. He finished the year by reaching the semifinals at the Paris Masters.

Eleventh ATP Title (2013)

In 2013, Simon reached the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International. At the 2013 Australian Open, he reached the fourth round before losing to Andy Murray. He also made it to the fourth round of the French Open, losing to Roger Federer in five sets. He lost in the first round at Wimbledon and missed the US Open due to illness.

In September, he won the Moselle Open for his 11th career title. He defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final.

Strong Comeback and Shanghai Final (2014)

Simon had a tough start to 2014, losing early in Brisbane. At the 2014 Australian Open, he reached the third round after winning two long five-set matches.

He reached the quarterfinals in Acapulco. At the Rome Masters, he played a close three-set match against world No. 1, Rafael Nadal. He made it to the semifinals of the Open de Nice.

Simon reached the third round at both the 2014 French Open and 2014 Wimbledon Championships. At the US Open, he surprised everyone by beating world No. 5, David Ferrer, to reach the fourth round. He then lost to the eventual champion, Marin Čilić. Simon reached the final of the Shanghai Masters. He upset strong players like Stan Wawrinka and Tomáš Berdych. He lost the final to Roger Federer in two close sets.

Twelfth ATP Title and Wimbledon Quarterfinal (2015)

Simon started 2015 slowly. He reached the quarterfinals of the 2015 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament. He broke his 12-match losing streak against Andy Murray in the quarterfinals. A week later, he won his second title at the Open 13 tournament in Marseille. He defeated Gaël Monfils in the final.

He reached the fourth round at Roland Garros, losing to the eventual champion, Stan Wawrinka. He then reached his second Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon. He beat Monfils and Berdych before losing to Roger Federer. In September, he reached the final of the Moselle Open but lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

400th Win (2016)

Gilles Simon at the 2016 US Open

Simon lost in the first round in Brisbane to start 2016. At the Australian Open, he lost to world No. 1, Novak Djokovic, in the fourth round. In March, Simon reached the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. He had beaten world No. 11, Marin Čilić.

He lost in the third round of the Monte Carlo and Madrid Masters. Simon lost in the third round of the French Open. The grass-court season was not as successful for him. He lost early at Stuttgart and Queen's Club. Simon also lost in the second round of Wimbledon.

At the Olympics, he lost in the third round to Rafael Nadal. At the US Open, he lost in the second round. Simon reached the semifinals of the Moselle Open. At the Shanghai Masters, Simon upset third seed Stan Wawrinka in the third round. This was his 400th career match win. He then lost in the semifinals to Andy Murray. Simon played his last tournament of the year at the Paris Masters.

Outside the Top 50 (2017)

At the Australian Open, Simon lost in the third round. In 2017, he only reached the quarterfinals in two ATP tournaments: Marseille and Lyon. At the Shanghai Masters, Simon upset world No. 10, David Goffin. He finished 2017 outside the top 50 in the rankings for the first time since 2005.

Two ATP Titles and First Doubles Final (2018)

Gilles Simon at the 2018 French Open

In January 2018, Simon won his 13th career ATP singles title at the Pune tournament in India. He beat the top three seeded players, including world No. 6 Marin Čilić in the semifinals. Simon also reached his first career ATP doubles final in Pune with his partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert. His singles ranking improved from No. 89 to No. 57.

Simon had to stop his second-round match at the Australian Open due to a thigh injury. In the final of the Lyon Open, he lost to Dominic Thiem in three sets.

Simon won his 14th ATP Tour singles title in Metz. He defeated Matthias Bachinger in the final.

Second ATP Final on Grass (2019)

Gilles Simon at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships

Simon started 2019 by reaching the semifinals of the Chennai Open and the Sydney International. At the Australian Open, he lost in the second round.

In February, he reached the quarterfinals of the Open 13 in Marseille. In March, he played at the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open.

Simon started his clay-court season in Marrakesh, reaching the semifinals. He had to stop his match at the Monte-Carlo Masters due to a back injury. He lost early in other clay-court tournaments. At the French Open, he lost in the second round.

Simon reached his second ATP final on grass at the Queen's Club Championships in London. He lost a very close match to Feliciano López.

COVID Season Challenges (2020)

Gilles Simon on the practice court at the 2020 Australian Open

Simon started 2020 representing France at the first ATP Cup. At the Australian Open, he lost in the second round.

In February, at the Open 13 in Marseille, he surprised top seed Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. He reached the semifinals for the fifth time at this tournament. The ATP tour then stopped all tournaments from March to July because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

When tennis returned, Simon played at the Western & Southern Open. He lost in the qualifying rounds. At the US Open, he lost in the second round.

Simon played in some smaller tournaments and qualifiers later in the year. At the French Open, he lost in the first round. He finished 2020 ranked 63rd.

Hiatus and Retirement (2021–2022)

Simon started 2021 at the Murray River Open and the Australian Open, losing early in both. In Montpellier, after another first-round loss, he announced he would take a break from tennis. He said his heart wasn't in it, and he needed time for his mental health.

Simon returned to action in April but continued to struggle. He lost in the first round of the French Open. He finished 2021 outside the top 100.

In May 2022, Simon announced on social media that 2022 would be his last year on the tour. He received a wildcard to play in the 2022 French Open for the 17th time. In the first round, he won a nearly four-hour, five-set match against world No. 18, Pablo Carreño Busta. This was his 499th career win. He then beat Steve Johnson in the second round for his 500th career win. He became the 11th active player to reach this milestone. Simon lost in the third round to Marin Čilić, which was his last match at Roland Garros.

At the 2022 Moselle Open, he defeated David Goffin for his 502nd win. Simon received a wildcard to play in his home tournament, the Paris Masters, which was his final tournament. He won his first-round match against former world No. 1, Andy Murray, in a close three-set match. This was his 503rd win and his 300th win on hard courts. He became only the 24th man in the Open Era to reach this hard-court milestone. In the second round, he beat world No. 11, Taylor Fritz. Simon lost in the round of 16 in his final match to Félix Auger-Aliassime. He finished his career ranked inside the top 150.

Coaching and Equipment

Gilles Simon used tennis rackets and bags from the brand Head. He was sponsored by Adidas for his clothing.

In September 2012, Simon stopped working with his longtime coach, Thierry Tulasne. He then started working with Étienne Laforgue. His fitness trainer was Paul Quetin.

Important Matches

ATP Masters 1000 Finals

Gilles Simon reached two finals in the important ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, but he did not win either of them.

• 2008 Madrid Open: Lost to Andy Murray
• 2014 Shanghai Masters: Lost to Roger Federer

ATP Tour Finals: 14 Titles, 8 Runner-ups

Simon played in 22 ATP Tour finals in his career. He won 14 of these titles and was the runner-up in 8.

• Hard Court Titles (9): Open 13 (2007, 2015), Indianapolis Championships (2008), Thailand Open (2009), Moselle Open (2010, 2013, 2018), Sydney International (2011), Maharashtra Open (2018)
• Clay Court Titles (5): Romanian Open (2007, 2008, 2012), Grand Prix Hassan II (2008), German Open (2011)
• Grass Court Finals (2): Eastbourne International (2013), Queen's Club Championships (2019)

Doubles Final: 1 Runner-up

Simon reached one doubles final in his career.

• 2018 Maharashtra Open: Lost with partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert to Robin Haase and Matwé Middelkoop.

Wins Against Top 10 Players

Gilles Simon had 34 wins against players who were ranked in the top 10 at the time of their match. Some of his notable wins include:

• In 2008, he beat world No. 1 Roger Federer at the Canada Masters.
• Also in 2008, he defeated world No. 1 Rafael Nadal at the Madrid Open.
• In 2008, he beat world No. 1 Roger Federer again at the Tennis Masters Cup.
• In 2014, he upset world No. 5 David Ferrer at the US Open.
• In 2015, he beat world No. 4 Andy Murray in Rotterdam.
• In 2016, he defeated world No. 3 Stan Wawrinka at the Shanghai Masters.
• In 2020, he beat world No. 5 Daniil Medvedev in Marseille.

Career Earnings

Gilles Simon earned over $16 million in prize money during his tennis career. He was ranked as the 46th all-time leader in earnings in the Open Era of tennis.

See also

In Spanish: Gilles Simon para niños