After Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s farewell to Roland-Garros, another Musketeer is about to put his racket away this year. Gilles Simon chose the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 to retire. A few wrinkles now surround her clear eyes and her brown hair is dotted with white hair.
The Niçois, who will turn 38 in December, will play the last tournament of a career that began two decades ago. Career during which, with his brain game, very thoughtful, some would say too much, Gilles Simon knocked on the door of the TOP 5 in the world, won 14 tournaments and won more than 500 matches. A rare feat for a Frenchman, since only the last two Musketeers, Richard Gasquet and Gaël Monfils, have won more matches.
“I was lucky to be a professional tennis player”
“What I remember is that I was lucky to have been able to be a professional tennis player”, says Gilles Simon. “Because that’s what I’ve always wanted to be. There, I feel lucky to be able to finish at Bercy on the central court, where I projected myself as a tennis player when I was young. When I’m asked if I I’m afraid of having pain (he suffered from back pain a few days ago and is coming out of a bad cold), I tell myself that yes, I would like to arrive in even better shape. But already, I have the chance to to be here and to be able to play this game.”
For what will be, in case of defeat, the last match of his career, Gilles Simon, inherited another veteran of the circuits: the former world number 1 Andy Murray. For the spectators, the evening promises to be gala, almost vintage one might even say!