The 37-year-old Frenchman couldn’t hide his emotion after losing to Croatian Marin Cilic in his very last match at Roland Garros.
Gilles Simon, 158th in the world, said goodbye to Roland-Garros on Saturday’s elimination in the 3rd round by the Croatian Marin Cilic (23rd) 6-0, 6-3, 6-2, appearing very emotional after the match point while the public chanted “Gilou”.
The 37-year-old Frenchman announced on May 7 that he would end his career at the end of the season. For his part, Marin Cilic will face in the round of 16 the world No.2 Daniil Medvedev who has been impressive since the start of the tournament where he has not yet lost a single set.
Simon is the third of the last four French people in the running to be eliminated, after Léolia Jeanjean and Alizé Cornet. Only remains Hugo Gaston (74th) who faces the Dane Holger Rune (40th) in the night session.
The former world No.6 decided to leave the circuit at the end of the year because his body is no longer able to keep up.
Three times he reached the round of 16 at Roland-Garros, without managing to go beyond (2011, 2013, 2015). He had his best Grand Slam result at the 2009 Australian Open and 2015 Wimbledon by making it to the quarter-finals.
Winner of the 2017 Davis Cup, he has to date 14 titles and 500 victories on the circuit.