By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday April 6, 2025
23 years after his debut, Richard Gasquet kicked off his final Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters appearance with an emotional victory.
The 38-year-old wild card took out Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi 6-3 4-6 6-4 on the fabled Court Central, setting a second-round clash with either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Daniel Altmaier.
“The crowd was there,” Gasquet said of the support he received from adoring fans on Sunday. “It was a beautiful moment. The difference was that I played well at the right moment, and I was able not to be broken in the beginning of the third set. That was an important moment. He was starting to play better than I was, and I was feeling a bit tired, but I was able to serve well, play well, and at the end of the match, he became a bit tense.
“I did good backhands along the lines, beautiful shots, and this was good for me. It reminded me some shots I had played on this center court before – I was happy to prolong a little bit my career.”
Gasquet defeated then World No.1 Roger Federer 20 years ago in Monte-Carlo. It is his only victory over a reigning World No.1.
The former World No.7 reached the semifinals that year.
Gasquet, currently ranked 148, will finish his career at Roland-Garros later this spring.
“These are fabulous moments,” he said. “The court was full. The crowd was there. It’s very strong moments. It’s one of the major tournaments in the world. It’s a Sunday. You want to play well, and I was able to do it.
“This is why I’m so happy, and now I feel I can stay in the tournament a bit more, so this is very important for me. Really happy that I won against a young player who has a beautiful future ahead of him.”
