The French tennis player distils his memories of Rafael Nadal, the 14-time winner of Roland-Garros. And that he is convinced that a fifteenth trophy is reaching out to the Spaniard.
“With Rafa, we met for the first time in the final of the Petits As tournament in Tarbes; we were 13 years old. I beat him, but it was already hard. Three years later, he was virtually untouchable. He was a kid who hit harder, with more intensity than all the others. We no longer had any doubts about his fate. In 2005, we find ourselves at Roland-Garros in the third round. I have the public behind me, but they beat me. And in the process, he signed his first Parisian coronation. No one was surprised: he had the talent, the physical and the mental.
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We had never seen such a style of play. It’s still the case: nothing classic, he has a topspin forehand, he opens angles everywhere, it’s monstrous. In 2021, I almost won the second set against him. Finally, I took a beating! From the warm-up, it started strong, like a truck rushing at you… Over the years, we have forged links. I even spent a week with him, in Mallorca, to train. He is simple, very humble, works very seriously. He needs to be at home, to spend time on his boat. Everyone knows him on his island, but people leave him alone. He leads a quiet life. Down to earth, he didn’t get lost in fame. His profession has never made him mad.
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His foot ? Yes, he is in pain but we must not forget that he is in great shape. He beat Medvedev, Australia in five hours! At Roland-Garros, he chose to undergo an infiltration, he will not be able to do it at every tournament. I didn’t believe for a second that he would announce his retirement. Federer won the Australian Open at 37! I’m even ready to bet that he will be the favorite at Roland-Garros next year… He remains unbeatable, and he still has things to accomplish in tennis. »
Richard Gasquet has just published “A reverse and against everything”, ed. Stock, 260 pages, 20 euros.Richard Gasquet “I bet he will be the favorite in 2023”
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