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Richard Gasquet

Gasquet at the 2022 BNP Paribas Primrose Bordeaux

Full name

Richard Gabriel Cyr Gasquet

Country (sports)

France

Residence

Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Born

18 June 1986 (age 39)
Béziers, France

Height

1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)

Turned pro

2002

Plays

Right-handed (one-handed backhand)

Coach

Éric Deblicker (2004-08, 2009-11)
Guillaume Peyre (2008-09)
Gabriel Markus (2010)
Riccardo Piatti (2011-13)
Sebastien Grosjean (2011-16)
Sergi Bruguera (2014-17)
Thierry Tulasne & Fabrice Santoro (2018)
Thierry Ascione (2018-20)
Julien Cassaigne (2020-)

Prize money

US$21,229,070

29th all-time leader in earnings

Official website

richardgasquet.net

Singles

Career record

606–403 (60.06%)

Career titles

Highest ranking

No. 7 (9 July 2007)

Current ranking

No. 133 (7 October 2024)

Grand Slam singles results

Australian Open

4R (2007, 2008, 2012, 2013)

French Open

QF (2016)

Wimbledon

SF (2007, 2015)

US Open

SF (2013)

Other tournaments

Tour Finals

RR (2007, 2013)

Olympic Games

2R (2012)

Doubles

Career record

72–62 (53.73%)

Career titles

Highest ranking

No. 45 (7 April 2008)

Grand Slam doubles results

Australian Open

1R (2006)

French Open

1R (2002, 2003, 2005, 2023)

Other doubles tournaments

Olympic Games

(2012)

Mixed doubles

Career record

11–0 (100%)

Career titles

Grand Slam mixed doubles results

French Open

W (2004)

Team competitions

Davis Cup

W (2017)

Hopman Cup

W (2017)

Medal record

Tennis

Representing France
Olympic Games
Bronze	2012 London	Men's doubles

Richard Gasquet (born June 18, 1986) is a professional tennis player from France. He reached his highest ranking of world No. 7 in 2007. Richard has won 16 singles titles on the ATP Tour. He is one of the few active players with over 600 career match wins.

Richard has reached the semifinals of Grand Slam tournaments three times. He made it to the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2007 and 2015. He also reached the semifinals at the US Open in 2013. In 2004, he won the mixed doubles title at the French Open with his partner Tatiana Golovin. He also won a bronze medal in men's doubles at the 2012 Summer Olympics with Julien Benneteau. Gasquet is famous for his smooth playing style and his amazing one-handed backhand.

Early Life and Junior Career
- Growing Up with Tennis
- Junior Success
Professional Tennis Journey
Playing Style
Equipment and Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Junior Career

Growing Up with Tennis

Richard Gasquet was born in Béziers, France, in 1986. His parents, Maryse and Francis, were biology teachers. They also ran a local tennis club. Richard started playing tennis at age 4 with his dad.

A famous tennis player, Pierre Barthès, noticed Richard when he was young. Richard was even featured on the cover of a French tennis magazine at age 9. People thought he would be a future champion.

Junior Success

Richard played his first junior match in 1999 when he was 12. He quickly became a top player in the Under-14 circuit in Europe. He won major tournaments like Les Petits As and the European Junior Championships. In one important match, he beat a young Rafael Nadal.

Richard became the world's No. 1 junior player in 2002. He won the Junior French Open and the Junior US Open that year. His win at the Junior French Open was the shortest final ever for that event. Because of his early success, many people called him the "Mozart of tennis". They believed he would become a future world No. 1.

Professional Tennis Journey

Starting Out (2002-2004)

Richard Gasquet joined the ATP tour in 2002. He was only 15 years old when he played in his first big tournament in Monte Carlo. He became the youngest player to win a main draw match on the ATP Tour since 1988.

He also played in his first Grand Slam tournament at the 2002 French Open. He was very young but managed to win a set against the eventual champion. Richard ended 2002 as the youngest player ever to be in the top 200 ATP rankings.

In 2004, Richard reached his first ATP Tour singles final in Metz, France. He also won the mixed doubles title at the French Open with Tatiana Golovin.

First Big Wins (2005-2006)

In 2005, Richard had a big moment. He beat world No. 1 Roger Federer at the Monte Carlo Masters. He was the youngest French player to ever defeat a world No. 1. He then reached the final of the Hamburg Masters, but lost to Federer.

On his 19th birthday in June 2005, Richard won his first ATP Tour singles title at the Nottingham Open in England. He finished the year as the top-ranked French player.

In 2006, Richard won two more ATP Tour singles titles. He defended his title at Nottingham and won on clay in Gstaad. He also reached the final of the Masters Series event in Toronto, where he lost to Roger Federer again. Later that year, he won a title on indoor carpet in Lyon. This meant he had reached ATP Tour singles finals on all four types of tennis surfaces.

Reaching the Top 10 (2007-2008)

Gasquet at Wimbledon in 2007

The year 2007 was a big one for Richard. He reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon. He had a thrilling five-set win over Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals. This great performance helped him reach his career-high ranking of world No. 7.

He also won his fifth ATP career title in Mumbai, India. By the end of 2007, Richard had qualified for the Tennis Masters Cup, a tournament for the top players.

In 2008, Richard won a doubles title in Sydney with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. They beat the top-ranked Bryan brothers. Richard also reached his first singles final of the year at the Mercedes Cup in Germany, but he lost to Juan Martín del Potro.

Comebacks and Milestones (2010-2013)

After some struggles, Richard started to play well again in 2010. He won his sixth ATP singles title at the Open de Nice. He also reached the fourth round of the US Open.

In 2011, Richard achieved his 250th career singles win. He also beat two top-10 players in a row for the first time in his career at the Indian Wells Masters.

The 2012 Summer Olympics were special for Richard. He and his partner Julien Benneteau won a bronze medal in men's doubles. He also reached his third Masters 1000 singles final in Toronto.

In 2013, Richard won two more titles early in the year in Doha and Montpellier. He also recorded his 300th career match win. At the US Open, he reached his second Grand Slam singles semifinal. He beat David Ferrer in a tough five-set match before losing to Rafael Nadal. This strong performance helped him stay in the top 10 rankings.

Continuing Success (2015-2018)

Gasquet at the 2015 Mutua Madrid Open

Richard had a strong comeback in 2015. He won two ATP Tour singles titles in Montpellier and Estoril. At Wimbledon, he reached the semifinals for the second time, beating tough opponents like Stanislas Wawrinka. This helped him return to the top 10 rankings by the end of the year.

In 2016, Richard won two more ATP Tour singles titles, bringing his total to 14. He also reached his first ever French Open singles quarterfinal.

The year 2017 was great for team events. Richard helped France win the Hopman Cup and the Davis Cup. He played a key role in both victories. In 2018, Richard reached his 500th ATP Tour career singles win. He was the first Frenchman in the Open Era to do so. He also won his 15th ATP career singles title at the Libéma Open.

Recent Years and Retirement (2019-2025)

Gasquet at the 2019 French Open

In 2019, Richard had groin surgery but made a good comeback. He reached the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters. In 2021, he recorded his 550th career win, becoming one of only five active players to reach that milestone. He also reached his first final in over three years at the Croatia Open.

In 2022, Richard had a big win at the Geneva Open. He defeated world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev. This was his first win over a top-2 player since 2005. He also continued to play in many Grand Slam tournaments, reaching 67 appearances.

Gasquet at the 2021 Open de Rennes

In January 2023, Richard won his 16th ATP title at the ASB Classic. At 36 years old, he became the oldest French player to win an ATP title in the Open Era. This win also made him the No. 1 French player again. He reached his 600th career win at the BOSS Open, becoming the first French player to achieve this.

In 2024, Richard played his 1000th career match on the ATP tour. He also won his tenth ATP Challenger title, becoming one of the oldest champions on that tour. Richard Gasquet announced that he will retire from tennis after the 2025 French Open.

Playing Style

Gasquet swinging a backhand

Richard Gasquet is known for his elegant and complete tennis game. He can play well from anywhere on the court. His single-handed backhand is considered one of the best ever. He hits it with a lot of spin, speed, and accuracy. Many tennis experts, like John McEnroe, have praised his backhand.

Richard is also good at returning difficult shots and using different types of shots. He often uses drop-shots and fakes to trick his opponents. He is comfortable playing on all surfaces: clay, grass, and hard courts.

However, Richard also has some weaknesses. Sometimes, he waits for his opponent to attack instead of being aggressive himself. He also tends to play far behind the baseline. This can make him vulnerable to drop-shots. His serve is also known more for spin than for speed.

Equipment and Personal Life

Gasquet at the Le Coq Sportif photoshoot in December 2013.

Richard uses a Head Graphene Extreme Pro racquet. He uses a special grip called Tourna Grip. For many years, he wore Lacoste clothing, but he switched to Le Coq Sportif in 2014. His tennis shoes are from Asics.

Richard has a foundation called the Richard Gasquet Foundation. It helps underprivileged children through sports. He is a big fan of rugby and supports his hometown team, Béziers. He also likes football and supports Montpellier and Paris St-Germain. Richard is good friends with basketball player Tony Parker. His favorite food is Italian.